


Autumn Eyes

by EmeraldWaters



Series: Seasons [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Also ignoring compulsory military service, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Author has no idea how businesses work, Author is English, Barista Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Byun Baekhyun & Do Kyungsoo | D.O Friendship, Chef Do Kyungsoo | D.O, Even though Kyungsoo lowkey hates him, Fluff, For a Kaisoo fic there's not an awful lot of Kaisoo, Hot people being Jongin, Kyungsoo is awkward around hot people, M/M, Pretending gay marriage is okay is Korea, Suho has a thing for EXO, Veterinary Clinic, Waiter Kim Jongdae | Chen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-11-14 19:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11214486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWaters/pseuds/EmeraldWaters
Summary: It’s three in the morning. Baekhyun is worried about Mongryong. Jongin is the beautiful receptionist. Kyungsoo just wants to sleep. It all works out.(Baekhyun’s going to want thanks for this).





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Welcome to my first EXO fic! I'd just like to say wow, because a small idea I had two months ago while trying to get to sleep, somehow snowballed itself into 20,000 words within it's own mini universe! 
> 
> Although this story is set in Korea, I am English, so have tried to stay away from most Korean, just in case I use it wrong (help in this department would be useful!). Their ages are also roughly the same distance from each other, except for Jongdae who I've made the youngest.
> 
> Also major credit to my sister who I forced to read and edit, and who came up with a few ideas. Bless.
> 
> I have always been skeptical of RPF, and for good reason. Just remember these are real people, and this is all fiction made for my, and your amusement. It is never okay to push these things onto EXO.
> 
> Alright? Let's go! Hope you enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> (also, spot the bts)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kyungsoo mentally murders Baekhyun for waking him up this early

 

Now, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun have been friends for a very long time. Twelve-year-old Baekhyun had been the new kid, family just having moved over from Bucheon. Surprisingly fearless and ridiculously hyper, he somehow managed to befriend the scary-looking loner sitting at front of the class because he couldn’t see. Even though they have been close for over a decade now, there are still things Kyungsoo can’t stand about his best friend. His tendency to overreact for example.

So, when Kyungsoo’s phone rings at three in the morning, he seriously questions his friendship choices. He picks the phone up though, because knowing Baekhyun, the idiot could quite possibly be bleeding out in a field somewhere.

“No,” he answers.

“Mongryong is really sick. He’s restless and whining and I think he’s bleeding,” says the man on the other end, genuinely panicked.

“And why can’t Chanyeol take you to the vet?” Kyungsoo asks slowly, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

“He’s at his parents and he’s working tomorrow.”

“So am I.”

“You start at ten. He starts at seven.”

Kyungsoo hits his face against the pillow a few times. He is silent for a good minute before “fine. I’ll be there in ten,” and hangs up.

Muttering angrily under his breath, he drags himself out of bed, swearing when he stubs his toe on the doorframe. To make things even better, the heater in his car is broken. And it’s cold. Breath-visible-in-the-air cold. Even wrapped in a massive jacket, he is _still_ _shivering_ when he pulls up to Baekhyun’s house.

Kyungsoo glares at Baekhyun through the window. The dog whines, pitifully, and he glares at that too. It seems perfectly fine. More cold air seeps into the car when Baekhyun opens the door. Kyungsoo kind of wants him to trip. No such luck, he slides in easily despite having his hands full of dog.

Baekhyun buries his nose into Mongryong’s fur. “Thank you Soo.”

Kyungsoo appraises him for a moment, silent, before telling him “fix your hair.”

Baekhyun’s hands fly to his head.

They don’t speak much after that, apart from Baekhyun giving him directions, slender fingers brushing through Mongryong’s fur. It’s not like him to be so still, or so quiet. Baekhyun is watching the corgi, face unchanging, no sign of his usual smile. Kyungsoo worries, stealing glances at him every so often in the mirror.

The ‘CLOSED’ sign is the first thing they see when they pull into the parking lot and Kyungsoo turns his head, very slowly, towards his friend, hands clenched around the steering wheel.

"How was I meant to know it wasn't open all night?" Baekhyun says, voice getting higher in panic.

"I am so close to punching you right now," he says, voice still croaky from sleep, but sighs ill-sufferingly and brings up the map on his phone. Kyungsoo would never admit to this, but he’s not really angry. Not when Baekhyun looks like he’s about to cry.

Luckily for him, the only twenty-four-hour vet in the area is only ten minutes away. He doesn't give a damn if it's not the dog’s usual clinic because he'd like to go back to sleep thank you very much. He bats Baekhyun’s hand away from his coffee.

The massive building they pull up at looks far too modern to be a vet; done in black stone and strong lines. Instead of a sign:

**Exoluxion**

**24/7 Veterinary, Kennel and Pound Service**

is printed in bold white writing along the left wall. Something about it niggles at his brain but he’s too tired to acknowledge it.

“You are coming in?” Baekhyun asks, surprised, when he notices Kyungsoo following him.

“My heater is broken,” He replies grumpily, hand curled around his coffee.

Now that he isn’t driving, it is an enormous effort to keep his eyes open, so he takes to staring at Baekhyun’s feet as he walks. He comes to a stop a second later than Baekhyun does, doing a little shuffle to avoiding running into him. The quiet is broken by Baekhyun’s voice speaking to the receptionist, Kyungsoo letting the noise wash over him. It takes him a solid minute to realise that he's staring at bags of pet food and it'd be polite to look up.  

The receptionist is hands down, one of the most attractive people he has ever seen. The man looks about Kyungsoo’s age, and is tall, with flawless bronze skin, plump lips and a jawline that would make an angel cry. His brown hair is rumpled, lying flat against his head, and his brown eyes are bright despite the time.

The receptionist says something else to Baekhyun that he misses.

Baekhyun nods, thanking the man, and pulls Kyungsoo over to a row of blue chairs by his sleeve. The receptionist walks over to the vet’s office and knocks, before poking his head in, Kyungsoo powerless to stop his half-shut eyes from following the man’s back. He's so out of it that he doesn't realise that the annoying whine is Baekhyun trying to ask him if he’s okay.

“I’m tired. Because someone thought it would be a good idea to call me at three in the morning.”

Baekhyun apologizes in earnest then, eyes big and wide. It’s quite sweet. Kyungsoo tells him not to worry. As much as he likes to complain, he would always help.

But his best friend’s attention span never lasts very long, “the receptionist is hot, isn’t he?”

“You’re engaged,” Kyungsoo reminds him.

Baekhyun waves his hand dismissively. “Chanyeol’s way hotter, but I’m just saying. Anyway, you seemed to agree with the way you were staring.”

Kyungsoo takes all his nice thoughts back. He's good at letting nothing show on his face, but Baekhyun has an irritating way of being able to guess what he's thinking.

“ _You do_ think he’s hot don’t you. Don’t you?” His best friend nags, leaning forward, looking far too awake.

Luckily, before he’s forced to reply, Baekhyun’s name gets called and he disappears with Mongryong into one of the rooms.

He doesn’t dare look at the receptionist again, and lets his eyes close. It could be an hour or five minutes, but when Kyungsoo is shaken awake with a tongue licking his ankle, he has no idea where he is for a few seconds. His eyes focus onto a close-up of Baekhyun’s face, which he pushes away. He barely refrains from kicking the dog too.

“We’re finished!” Baekhyun trills, sounding a lot happier now that Mongryong’s been seen to.

Kyungsoo’s silence doesn’t affect Baekhyun, who keeps nattering on about his dog. The corgi does look a lot less restless now, despite wearing one of those cone things. Baekhyun’s _still_ _talking_ by the time they’re in the car and Kyungsoo would be happier for him if he didn’t have a looming headache. He didn’t think it possible, but somehow he feels worse now than before.

Baekhyun tells him he’ll see him tomorrow when he gets out of the car, holding one of Mongryong’s paws to wave him goodbye. Kyungsoo in reply, leans over and closes the passenger door in his face.

As soon Kyungsoo gets home, despite a growling stomach, he collapses on top of his bed, falling asleep in his clothes.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kyungsoo totally does not cut his finger thinking about the hot receptionist

"Looking good today Soo," the waiter says when he walks in, leaning against the handle of the mop.

"Don't you start," Kyungsoo, who’s alarm went off far too early, snaps, and the curled corners of Jongdae’s mouth curl up even higher.

"Leave him alone Jongdae," their barista chides, smiling at Kyungsoo.

Kim Jongdae, their part-time waiter and occasional barista, is a recently-graduated singing major. Incredibly cheeky, with a smile like the Cheshire Cat’s, it’s common knowledge that him and Baekhyun should never be left alone together. His charming and flirtatious nature makes him a hit with the customers; as well as his tendency to sing as he works, although he’s just a massive smartass around his staff. Kim Minseok on the other hand, is a jack-of-all-trades. He’s mainly their barista, but also an occasional waiter and whatever else they need him to be. As the oldest and most serious, he gives Kyungsoo the less headaches; the fact he doesn't put up with Baekhyun's shit also helps. Despite being the oldest, he sometimes looks the youngest with his adorably gummy smile and rounded cheeks.

Kyungsoo grumbles to himself, tying his apron on a little tersely. As one of the only three head chefs at Exordium, he’s used to working long hours without much break. However, on as little sleep as he’s had, this is going to be more than a litte painful. Lucky for him, Wednesday mornings always start a little slow.

“The cabinet doesn’t need topping up, does it?” He asks as an afterthought, poking his head through the serving window.

“No, Suho came in early and did it,” Minseok says over his shoulder, flicking a series of buttons on the coffee machine.

Kyungsoo sits back on his heels, relieved. Work days are less stressful for him without having to prepare the easy-sell food as well. Junmyeon - or ‘Suho’ as most know him as – is Exordium’s owner. Being as short as Kyungsoo himself, and being a smiley man, it’s hard to see him as an authority figure (not to mention what he lets his dongsaengs away with sometimes). But he also takes his work seriously, and can be terrifyingly brisk when he wants to be. Despite being a busy man with little time, he’s incredibly efficient.

Two breakfast orders ring in and so Soo gets to work, chopping and cutting and mixing. Comfortable with this menu, he works on autopilot, concentration only breaking when a coffee appears at the window. Takeaway so it doesn’t spill, black with two sugars; how he likes it. He smiles at Minseok.

It’s three hours before there’s a lull in orders, during which Kyungsoo goes and washes the dishes, enjoying not having to think.

He’s been working at Exordium for four years now, two years under Junmyeon's management, and he loves it. Loves the kitchen, loves the atmosphere, loves the staff (though you wouldn't ever hear him say so out loud). Junmyeon and Yixing’s management of this place is firm, but it works, and it’s no wonder that they’re the most popular establishment in the area. The work is tough, and long, for everyone, but doing what he loves serves to ease the pain. Ever since Kyungsoo was a kid even, he's loved cooking for people.

The busboy comes in, staring in shock at the head chef doing the dishes. Kyungsoo makes an effort to smile at him as he steps back and dries his red hands on his apron. It wouldn’t do to make another kid cry, even if their busboys don’t last long.

Kyungsoo takes a moment to roll out his shoulders, before heading over to prepare the orders that have just come in. Too grounded in reality to daydream usually, he’ll blame it on the lack of sleep that his mind wanders to the attractive receptionist. For a brief, cringe-worthy moment, he lets himself imagine talking to the gorgeous man, without his usual shyness.

Pain blooms and he looks down to see blood welling from his thumb. Kyungsoo sticks a blue plaster on the cut, embarrassed. Despite his skill with a knife, it’s not uncommon for busy chefs to nick their fingers every so often. It’s just embarrassing why it happened.

His eyes drift up to the clock above his head. It blinks 2:37 in bright red. Sighing heavily – only a little over halfway – this is when it starts to drag. Especially dealing with the dinner rush.

 

* * *

 

By the end of his shift he’s sweaty and tired (more so than usual, as they had an un-booked table of ten show up just after Jin, their other head cook, had gone home sick). Soo heads into the staff room to grab his stuff, and to thank Minseok who had been a godsend, coming back on to help the wait staff.

Jongdae is standing in the entrance, white beanie over his head, jacket tucked under his arm. His attention is turned to the middle of the staffroom. Kyungsoo skirts around him to see Baekhyun lying across the single couch, holding court with Minseok and Suho’s friend Minho; who is another one of the casual staff.

"For god’s sake Baekhyun, you don't even work here," he says.

Minho checks his watch and excuses himself, tying his apron back around his waist as he leaves. Jongdae steps aside to let him through, but stays in the doorway.

“Why _are_ you here?” Jongdae asks bluntly, as if the question only just occurred to him.

Baekhyun leans his head over the arm, to look at Soo, eyes big and wide. “To see my favourite best friend of course.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t buy it. “What do you want?”

“A lift home.”

“No.”

Minseok has to cover his smile at this. Kyungsoo steps past them, through the small gap between the coffee table and the couch.

Baekhyun latches onto his leg as he passes, “pretty please!”

“Let go!” Kyungsoo orders, trying to shake him off, as he hobbles the last metre to his bag.

His best friend doesn’t budge, letting his body be pulled off the couch as Kyungsoo keeps going. He’s batting his eyelashes. _Ridiculous._

“Okay fine I’ll drive you!” _As if he wasn’t going to say yes all along_. “Now get off me!”

Baekhyun beams. He’s up in seconds, grabbing Kyungsoo’s bag from his hands, throwing him his clothes. He’s out of the room in a flash, before Soo can hit him for pressing a cheeky kiss to his cheek. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes at Minseok, who’s still grinning, and heads behind the partition to get changed. By the time he’s back in his street clothes – black sweatpants and t-shirt – Jongdae is gone.

“You have class tomorrow?” He asks Minseok, as he slips on his shoes.

“8-2,” the elder says, sweeping his brown hair so it falls across his forehead. “Then I’m here 3-8.”

Between University, the gym and working at Exordium, he can’t have much free time. He is definitely slimmer than he used to be. They all worry.

They keep talking as they head outside, the sky darkening. Minseok-hyung stops to rifle through his bag for his keys, telling him he doesn’t have to wait. Kyungsoo thanks him for today, wishing him a good night, before heading to his car. Baekhyun is wriggling impatiently in the passenger seat, looking two seconds away from honking the horn. The car has already started, his friend rubbing his arms.

“You’re almost twenty-seven, how do you not have your own car?” Kyungsoo says, reaching into the backseat to grab a blanket he’d forgotten about and chucking it onto his best friend’s lap.

He shrugs, snuggling into the new warmth, “Yeol has one, it usually works out.”

“Yeah, except now and the last time, when he was staying with his parents. Speaking of, when is the next appointment?” He asks, looking over his shoulder as he backs out.

Baekhyun waves to Minseok as they pass him, the elder still in the spot where Kyungsoo left him. “Friday morning.”

“I have a late start, I can take you if you want?” Kyungsoo offers, mind definitely not flicking to the receptionist.

“You’re the best Soo!” Baekhyun trills and –

“- Don’t you dare,” Kyungsoo says, seeing movement in the corner of his eye. ‘I’m driving you idiot.”

Baekhyun turns his body back towards the window, slender fingers turning up the radio. He fiddles with the buttons until he finds a song they both like. Their voices join the singer’s when the chorus comes on and they smile at each other.

They stay in the car until the song ends, windows fogged up by their duet and Baekhyun’s vigorous dancing. Another good song comes on and Baekhyun probably would’ve stayed, except his front door opens to reveal Chanyeol.

“You saw him yesterday!” Kyungsoo protests but Baekhyun’s already gone, skipping up the footpath, and pulling Chanyeol inside; shouting a hasty “See you Friday!”

“Blatant favouritism,” He mutters to himself, but he’s smiling as he pulls out of the drive, surprisingly looking forward to these next few days.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kyungsoo officially meets Jongin and fuck off Baekhyun he's not smiling like he's just killed someone. Also, things aren't quite what they seem

Kyungsoo is outside Baekhyun’s house at 8:35, sleeves pushed to his elbows, hand out the window to catch the falling cherry blossoms that somehow survived the beginning of autumn. Warmth from the rising sun settles gently onto his skin, the sky a light blue, touched only by one wispy cloud. He rests his cheek on his arm and watches the breeze ruffle the grass.

Baekhyun’s greeting causes him to open his eyes and he smiles, continuing to hum to the song on the radio.

“You’re in an unusually good mood,” Baekhyun comments as he slides into the car. He’s obviously feeling the warmth of the day as well, wearing a pastel-blue tee, capris that bunch at his shin, and taupe loafers. His hair is pink.

“It’s a nice day,” Kyungsoo replies simply.

“You also look good today,” Baekhyun says a minute later, almost accusingly, eyes narrowed.

He keeps singing, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He’d be more offended if he actually made an effort more often. Of course, it’s just a coincidence that today he’s wearing skinny jeans and that his red hair is slicked up nicely to show the shaved sides.

“It’s kind of you to dress up for me,” Baekhyun adds, a little too sweetly, holding Mongryong close to his chest.

_Shit._

Kyungsoo turns the radio up. His palms are a little sweaty.

Baekhyun is not one to let things go, of course, and keeps talking. “It’s such a shame that you’ll have to sit in reception while he’s getting checked. Too bad there’s nothing or _nobody_ to look at -”

“-How does Chanyeol put up with you?” Kyungsoo snaps eventually, embarrassment at getting caught out so easily making his voice sharp.

Baekhyun shrugs, unaffected. “I suck a good dick.”

Kyungsoo hits him, scowling. “The reason you were surprised I was in a good mood? Well you’re the reason I’m so shitty all the time.”

Because he’s a child, Baekhyun pouts, holding the dog up to eye level. “Isn’t he a meanie Mongryong?”

The dog licks his nose.

Kyungsoo is still sighing when they pull into the carpark.  Baekhyun is gone before he can even turn the engine off, bouncing towards the entrance.

In his haste to catch up, the automatic door doesn’t recognize him and Kyungsoo has to do an awkward shuffle back and forward again before it opens. Face hot from embarrassment, he scans the room to find Baekhyun. He’s at the receptionist’s desk and Kyungsoo’s stomach takes it upon itself to tie itself into knots. _It’s just a hot guy,_ he thinks fiercely.

Despite looking tired, the receptionist smiles warmly at him as he approaches, before turning back to Baekhyun. Despite the pinched face and the bags under his eyes, he’s still dazzling. Kyungsoo blinks furiously.

“Byun Baekhyun? I’ll let the vet know you’re here,” He says and his voice is smooth, almost nasally, but as gorgeous as the rest of him.

Being the only ones in the waiting room, it’s not long before Baekhyun’s name gets called and he disappears into the nearest office. Now alone, and the only one under the receptionist’s gaze, Kyungsoo suddenly feels shy. Eyes avoiding the receptionist’s desk, he looks around the room, not having looked the first time.

Despite being a place that caters for animals (apart from some piles of pet food), Kyungsoo is struck how much it resembles a hotel waiting room. Plush navy chairs line the wall of the vet offices, sitting on pristine white linoleum. Squared off by a low black plantar with little shrubs rising out of the top, is a small shop, everything in perfect order. Past the desk directly opposite where Soo is sitting, separated only by a glass wall, is the animal compound, although any animals are tucked away from sight. Perpendicular to where he is sitting are two black doors, the plaque above reading KENNELS in white. His eyes are then drawn back to reception. The desk is huge, about a metre tall, made from smooth black wood. A sleek computer sits atop the desk next to a white ceramic bowl of mints. The whole place screams class and affluence.

Unable to resist, Kyungsoo lets his eyes follow the receptionist, under the pretence of flicking through his phone. He was gorgeous, fitting well into the glamour of the place.

Just as Kyungsoo thinks that, the man trips and falls, disappearing behind the desk. Kyungsoo makes an embarrassingly startled sound, almost like a squawk.

"My god are you okay?" He all but shouts, rushing over, but he's answered only by high-pitched giggling laughter as he finds the man sprawled across a sack of dog food.

The receptionist, still laughing, grabs the hand he offers, palm dwarfing Kyungsoo's own. Luckily the man is agile pulling himself up, because despite Kyungsoo’s own strength, the receptionist has a good three inches of lean muscle on him.

"Thank you," he says, "I'm Kim Jongin."

"Do Kyungsoo."

Jongin smiles at him again and Kyungsoo feels like he's looking into the sun, blinding. Jongin is wearing black dress pants, a white short-sleeve dress shirt and a skinny black tie. _What kind of veterinary receptionist wears that_ his mind screams. Inwardly squirming, he opens his mouth several times to speak but can’t think of anything to say. Why does he always get so awkward around people he finds attractive?

“You were here Wednesday morning, weren’t you?” Jongin asks.

Kyungsoo tries not to have a heart attack. “Yes, I was. With Baekhyun. His fiancé was away and he had no one to drive him.”

“Ahh. That must’ve been a fun call to get at that time of the morning.” Jongin says, like he gets where Soo is coming from. He touches Kyungsoo's wrist briefly and it burns, “Sorry, you’ll have to excuse me.”

Jongin turns to the customers waiting at the desk; a young girl and her mother. Kyungsoo slinks back to his seat, out of earshot to be polite, feeling a little cheeky with having slipped that Baekhyun was taken. Kyungsoo watches Jongin interact with the kid. He’s sweet with her, coming around the front of the desk, bending slightly so she doesn’t have to stand on her tiptoes to see his face (Kyungsoo doesn't even try to look away from where his slacks hug the curve of his ass).

The girl’s tearful face changes into a giggle when he tweaks her ear. The mother is very thankful and they sit down to wait, the girl holding a lollipop now as well as the tiny cat in her arms.

 

* * *

 

Baekhyun is very suspicious about Kyungsoo’s mood during the drive home. 

“Why are you smiling so much? It’s kind of freaking me out.”

“No reason.”

“Well Mr. Happy, Chanyeol and I are going away for four days next week, and we were wondering if you could look after Mongryong? He’s got an appointment on the Tuesday.”

Dog-sitting wasn’t on the friendship requirement list. “Why can’t he go to the kennels?”

“He doesn’t like them, he likes to be near people.”

“Then why can’t the others do it?”

“Minseok is flat out with Uni and you know that if I left Mongryong in Jongdae’s hands he’d come back with blue fur or something.”

“Fine,” Kyungsoo groans. “But you owe me so big.”

 

* * *

 

 

 “Get in,” Kyungsoo tries for the fifteenth time, glaring at Mongryong.

The corgi is flopped on the ground a metre away from the car, ignoring his words and staring up at him with big eyes. Even tugging on the lead doesn’t make the dog budge. With the leash curled uselessly around his fist, Kyungsoo pinches his nose, hard. And people ask why he isn’t an animal person.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun had dropped Mongryong off yesterday afternoon with his bed, some food, and a laminated _– laminated -_  page of notes (those fucking idiots he swears to god) and the corgi had been well-behaved until well, right about this instant _._ There is roughly an hour gap between the appointment and start of his shift and there is no way he’s risking disappointing Junmyeon for some annoying dog.

“Please?” He asks in a last-ditch effort.

Mongryong sets his head on his paws.

 _That’s it_ , Kyungsoo thinks, cup of rage boiling over. Unmindful about how suddenly picking him up could _‘upset the poor darling’s stomach,’_ (or however Baekhyun had phrased it), he scoops the dog into his arms. Dodging the scrabbling paws, he places him at the foot of the passenger seat and closes the door.

“I swear to god if you vomit in my car,” he warns the corgi, who whines in response, turning in place a few times before settling down.

Kyungsoo gives himself a moment to calm his frustration when they arrive, sinking back against the seat, breathing sharply out his nose, which ruffles his fringe. Mongryong hops out of the car quite happily and Kyungsoo’s eye twitches. The corgi trots behind him on short legs for a few paces before he gets impatient and picks him back up.

His excitement nosedives when he walks in to see a sullen-looking man at the desk instead of Jongin. He tells his brain to stuff it. The new receptionist is tall and thin, and _he’s_ wearing a polo. His nametag says his name is Sehun.

“Check-up for Mongryong,” he says.

“The vet will be with you in a moment,” The man says with a nod. The accompanying small closed-mouth smile is enough to change him from sullen to simply serious.

Kyungsoo sets Mongryong down when he starts to fuss. He retires to a chair, ignoring the corgi now curled up at his feet. Uncharacteristically impatient, his leg has just started jiggling when the door opens.

It’s Jongin that walks out to his utter shock, in blue scrubs and a white lab coat. He’s talking to an older man holding an ancient dog. It throws Kyungsoo for a solid minute, eyes wide, although the traitor part of his brain is caught on the cut of his scrubs at the neck, how the blue and white looks against his skin, and the rumpled hair.

“Mongryong,” Jongin, _veterinarian Jongin_ , calls out, smiling when he looks up from his clipboard to see Kyungsoo. “Come on in.”

Still speechless, he follows the man into the room, bowing briefly at the nurse.

“I didn’t realise you were a veterinarian,” Kyungsoo blurts when Jongin’s hands start brushing through the corgi’s fur, and he really wants to hit himself in the face.

Jongin laughs, “to be fair I’m still building up my work experience. And I usually stick around as receptionist after surgeries to help out. Junmyeon, the manager, doesn’t like me to do multiple surgeries in a row just yet.”

Kyungsoo nods, twice, before he realizes something. “Pardon, did you just say Junmyeon? As in -”

“- Suho? Yes, he also manages the music store Exoplanet and the restaurant Exordium.”

“Yeah, Kyungsoo says, fairly dazed, “I work there.”

Jongin smiles at him, dazzling.

Kyungsoo, stunned, leaves with a verbal list of instructions and a physical copy in his hands (“For Baekhyun, I assume you’re just covering for him”).

It seems like today is full of realizations.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kyungsoo sees friends (and for once doesn't hate his height)

Checking again that Mongyrong has enough food, Kyungsoo pats the corgi on the head, before leaving; locking the apartment behind him. It’s Thursday, finally, and Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber are back today. Admittedly, it’s been almost too quiet. The couple are coming for dinner at his tonight, Baekhyun stopping by Exordium to pick up his key so Mongryong isn’t left alone longer than necessary. (Kyungsoo is confident he’ll soon be sick of them again).

Despite having left ten minutes early, the carpark is almost full when he gets there. Staff meetings are taken seriously, especially ones attended by both Junmyeon and Yixing, the latter opening the door for him. Kyungsoo bows his head in thanks.

The staffroom is packed. Jongdae and Minseok wave at him from the corner of the room, seeming to have saved him a seat. Kyungsoo sits, greeting them both. They make idle chat for a few minutes and Jongdae goes to say something else, but Junmyeon calls for quiet, and stands.

“As you all know, as well as owning Exordium, I am also the owner of the veterinary clinic, Exoluxion, and the music store, Exoplanet.”

_He does now._

“Exoluxion is not only a veterinary clinic, but also provides holding for strays and unwanted animals. Unfortunately, the compound is near full and the higher-ups are putting pressure on us to do something about the crowding, or they will put the animals down. As a solution to this, we will be running a free pet wash and adoption day next Friday. This will be held from 10-4 in the park across the street. Yixing will now give you the specifics.”

Yixing stands now. He is Exordium’s manager, filling in all the gaps Junmyeon doesn’t have time to. As well as being the head of finances, he is also the front of the store, their maître d most nights, and sometimes even a barista. Looking at Yixing you would not expect him to be as good at his job as he is, appearing somewhat innocent, and permanently confused. But, he is also the purest person Kyungsoo has ever met, genuinely kind in a way that is hard to find these days. Nobody has ever heard him raise his voice.

“Rostered chefs will begin at 7 to prepare the majority of the food for the day. We will be having set menus, two lunch, and two dessert items. I will hand a copy of those out after the meeting. We will be catering from outside rather from the restaurant, so will need at least five waiters – Jongdae and Minseok you two are already down. We will not need baristas. After the event ends, we will not be opening the restaurant, so anybody who has shortened hours will be compensated. Anybody else not registered is welcome to help out, but will be doing so as a volunteer, unfortunately.”

The meeting adjourns. Yixing’s Korean has improved incredibly. Kyungsoo is working 7-1 next week, which will leave three hours before the event ends. He wonders idly if Jongin will be there.

Kyungsoo ties on his apron as he strides into the kitchen. With an hour to go before they open, he sets about preparing food for the dinner rush tonight. Kalbi is their most popular dish, and needs to be prepared at least four hours beforehand. Able to multitask, he makes a mental list of what he’ll need for tonight as he sprinkles the sugar. While he whisks, he realises he’ll have to stop at the supermarket on the way home. With his mind occupied and hands busy, he makes quick work. Forty minutes has gone by before he knows it, and he starts transferring the prepared ribs to the freezer.

 

* * *

 

 

"...and Soo was actually smiling," he hears Baekhyun say as he walks into the staffroom.

Making sure to hit Baekhyun upside the head on his way, Kyungsoo grabs his coat, before turning to his co-workers. He looks at them with a glare so harsh, that it has made a child cry before. (Before you say anything that was an accident). Unfortunately, these three are largely immune; Baekhyun spluttering over his messed hair, Jongdae still looking amused. At least Minseok has the decency to look apologetic.

“Do you  _seriously_  have nothing better to do with your time?”

Baekhyun ignores him, “Well this has been fun, but I have to go. Chanyeol is waiting in the car with Mongryong.”

“Did you say Mongryong was in the car?” Kyungsoo asks, staring at him.

“Yeah. Didn’t you know I made a spare key?”

 _No,_ he  _didn’t._

Baekhyun seems to sense that this was the wrong thing to say and backs out of the room fast, but not fast enough to avoid getting hit by the water bottle thrown at him. “See you tonight!” He calls, giggling, running away.

Kyungsoo turns to the other two men, physically sighing. “you really shouldn't encourage him Jongdae.”

Apron back on, the waiter exits the staffroom, still laughing, holding his hands up in mock surrender. Minseok smiles apologetically again.

 

* * *

 

 

Tonkatsu sauce left, and…  _breadcrumbs,_ Kyungsoo decides, squinting at the hastily-written note, finger skimming down the list. The basket at his elbow is near full. Navigating the aisle and throng of people easily, he specifically grabs the panko crumbs, before moving into the sauce aisle.

Kyungsoo’s eyes flick across the shelves, first thought that there is none there. Years of experience have taught him differently. He persists. Finally, he spots it, sighing in defeat when his eyes flick upwards. Top shelf.  _Typical._

A frown worms its way onto his face, eyebrows drawing together in frustration. There’s no way in hell he can reach that. Resigning himself to having to find a worker and ask, he’s just about to turn when someone moves into his space, warm and sweet-smelling.

An arm connects to a tanned hand, holding a bottle of Tonkatsu sauce. “This what you wanted?”

Jongin. Of course, it’s Jongin, eyes creased from his smile.

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo says, smiling back. He’s dressed in black sweats, and a white zip-up that is opened enough to show the work polo underneath. “Have you just finished a shift?”

“Yes, half an hour ago. I did three surgeries today.”

The man does look tired, around the eyes especially, and in the way his arms take the weight of his body against the trolley. The sweatshirt pulls across his back. Kyungsoo’s eyes track Jongin’s wrist as he pushes his hand through his hair, moving the messed strands off his face. Kyungsoo tries not to think about how he looks in comparison, sweaty, covered with a layer of food grease.

“How did they go?” Kyungsoo asks tentatively, shifting his basket to his hip to rest his arm.

“Well, thank you.”

They make idle chat for a while, more comfortably than expected considering they’re only recently acquainted, but as Kyungsoo is explaining something about work, his eye catches on his watch, and the time. He swears under his breath. Apologising to Jongin for his sudden departure, he bows his head, but Jongin waves him off, smiling.

Kyungsoo bustles to the checkouts, about to head down one, when his eyes catch on a tall, angular blond several checkouts over… It couldn’t be… But the teen’s head tilts in his direction and Soo sees eyeliner and multiple, glinting ear piercings.  _It is_  Tao.

Tao was their busboy. He only lasted a few months because he often refused to touch the water without giant gloves ( _“it will ruin my hands!”)_ and Junmyeon let him go. (The reason Tao even lasted that long was because their staff all doted on him). There were no hard feelings, and the wannabe model still comes into the café every so often. Usually to whine about something.

“Hi Tao,” Kyungsoo says, taking the items out of his basket and placing them on the conveyor.

The teen’s head shoots up. “Soo!”

“Hi,” He repeats, surprised by the enthusiasm. “How have you been? We haven’t seen you at Exordium for a while.”

“Good, I have been busy with photoshoots for the last few weeks but it is slowing down now,” Tao explains, babbling, somehow gesticulating wildly as he scans Soo’s items.

“Is this why you’re working here?”

The smile that appeared when he saw Kyungsoo, sours into a scowl. “Yes. Lifting food made my arms hurt so they put me in the checkouts. Just look at the uniform they put me in.”  

Kyungsoo looks down to hide a smile. From a distance, Tao may look intimidating, tall with sharp, narrow eyes and thin lips pressed in a line, but really, he’s the embodiment of Princess Peach. A very whiny Princess Peach. Who scares easily.

“I’m too pretty to be working here,” Tao adds as Kyungsoo is paying, sanitising his hands and giving his painted nails a once over.

“Of course you are,” Kyungsoo comforts, soothing the teen with a smile. Anyone else he would reassure that everybody had to start somewhere, but knows it would just go in one of Tao’s ears and out the other.

“I’ll be in soon!” The teen promises eagerly, leaning forward with both hands pressed on the scanner as Kyungsoo grabs his bag.

“Okay, seen you then Tao,” He calls, waving goodbye.

The scanner beeps loudly, and Tao jumps.

 

* * *

 

 

 Kyungsoo has just towelled his hair dry and is tracking sock-covered feet through the kitchen when there’s two knocks at the door.

“Hang on,” he calls with an armful of knives, the meat and a chopping board.

The heavy hand knocks only twice but the lighter one continues knocking. With no pause. And keeps knocking.

"I said  _hold on_  Baekhyun,” he says in frustration, pausing to straighten his knives on his way to the door (it takes a fair amount of self-control to not wrench it open).

His best friend is bouncing on his heels, lips curled to show his teeth, hand poised to knock again. His fiancé is a foot behind him, hair fluffed, wrapped in a massive hoodie. Kyungsoo holds his hand out. Baekhyun groans but drops the copied key into his palm before pushing his way into the apartment.

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes.

“Hey roomie,” Chanyeol greets, handing him a spatula wrapped in a bow (Kyungsoo didn’t care for wine as a gift and Chanyeol can be surprisingly perceptive sometimes).

“We haven’t roomed together for three years Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo ‘reminds’ him, stepping aside to let him in. “That colour also makes you ancient.”

Chanyeol’s hand flies to his hair, offended. Soo’s lying, it’s actually very nice, gunmetal grey, pushed up at the front, darker at the roots. Chanyeol grins a second later, hearing the joke in his voice, and his big stupid smile and big stupid ears make Kyungsoo smile back.

He hasn’t known Chanyeol for as long as he’s known Baekhyun, but they’re very close. They were assigned roommates in their first year at University in Seoul (and the subsequent few). ‘Happy virus’ was his nickname all throughout University, and for good reason, he is constantly smiling, and very affectionate. There is just something easy to like about Chanyeol, although Kyungsoo hadn’t made it easy for him at first. They balance each other out surprisingly well, and the taller man doesn’t rub him the wrong way as Baekhyun does.

Speaking of, Baekhyun met Chanyeol six months after he did, and was instantly smitten. To say he was displeased when hearing that Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had slept together one night after too many drinks would be a colossal understatement. He was salty for weeks. Even after Soo told him repeatedly it was a drunken mistake and that nothing would come of it. Six months later, when Chanyeol and Baekhyun got together, Baekhyun couldn’t have looked more like the cat who got the cream. Still does.

“How was your trip?” Kyungsoo asks, skirting back to the kitchen and around Baekhyun; who’s helping himself to water and a handful of crackers. Formality really is out the window with these two. He shoos him out, waving a knife at him in warning. Baekhyun takes a seat on the other side of the counter, tucking one foot under his leg. He offers Chanyeol some of his steal but the man shakes his head.

“Good. We stopped at Bucheon on the way to Sokcho to see Baekhyun’s parents. It was a relaxing few days, although we did miss Mongryong,” Chanyeol says, elbows on the counter.

Kyungsoo spares a smile for the corgi in the corner, lying quietly. (Okay, the dog did grow on him a little).

“How did you spend your days?” He asks, starting to make cuts in the fat of the pork. It’s delicate, finicky work, which takes concentration.

“Getting thoroughly fucked into the mattress,” Baekhyun pipes, the bastard, causing Kyungsoo’s knife to skitter across the board in shock.

He slams it down. “For God’s  _sake_  Baekhyun.”

Chanyeol laughs, smug. He forgot these two were infinitely worse when together.

Baekhyun isn’t sorry, or at all worried Kyungsoo could’ve lost a finger. “What? Chanyeol’s a beast.”

“I know,  _remember?”_  Kyungsoo retorts just to watch his smile die. Chanyeol starts coughing.

Baekhyun glares but Kyungsoo shrugs, starting to coat the pork,  _you started it._ The couple converse between themselves as he turns to begin frying the meat.

“Are Exoplanet involved in the pet adoption day next week?” Kyungsoo asks, draining the fat on paper towels before cutting them into strips.

“Yeah,” Chanyeol replies, lining the plates with the cabbage and pushing them closer to help Kyungsoo serve. “Not as much as Exordium is, but we are providing the stage and some live music.”

Baekhyun pulls a stool around for Kyungsoo as he puts the dishes in the sink.

“Are you performing?” He queries, after nodding thanks and taking the seat.

“Yeah, and a few people are singing the songs I wrote.” Chanyeol says, which makes the other two smile. Since his promotion to Exoplanet’s manager, he hasn’t had much time to work on his own stuff. Which, for someone who lives and breathes music like Chanyeol, is very hard.

“Are you coming to Yixing’s recital tomorrow night?” Baekhyun asks around a mouthful of food because he’s gross like that, pointing his chopstick at him, which Kyungsoo bats away with his own.

Yixing, as well as doing all he does for Exordium, is also a dancer. A very good one too. “Of course.”

A comfortable silence settles over them.

Kyungsoo watches the couple opposite him. Chanyeol’s eyes never really leave Baekhyun, the warmth in them never failing to make Soo smile. As much as his friends are pains in the asses, it makes him happy to see them like this. Baekhyun catches Chanyeol looking and smiles, his whole body curling towards his fiancé. The breakfast bar cuts off at their torsos but Kyungsoo knows their legs are intertwined.

After the meal and the dishes, during which Baekhyun drops the new spatula on his foot; Kyungsoo looking at Chanyeol as if saying  _this is the man you’re going to marry_ , they retire to the lounge. Lounge is a kindly exaggerated word for the small space connected to the kitchen that contains only a two-seater couch and a one armchair.

With the food and wine in their bellies and the soft wash of warmth and the radio in the background, Kyungsoo sinks into contentment. Their conversation flows on. Mongryong joins Baekhyun on his lap, both pet and owner leaning into the fingers petting them. Watching these two (three), that wormed their way into his life and stayed, despite his harshness, Kyungsoo feels a swell of appreciation. 

This lasts until they make their leave, and he even lets a sleepy Baekhyun hug him goodbye. Chanyeol thanks him quietly, with a hand to his shoulder, holding Mongryong as they walk outside. His moments of maturity still stun Kyungsoo sometimes.

The streetlight illuminates the tops of their heads and Soo watches Chanyeol open the door for Baekhyun, pressing a kiss to his fiancés’ hair as he hands Mongryong over, before getting into the driver’s seat. Kyungsoo waves them goodbye, staying at the threshold until the car winks out of sight, before heading inside, smiling to himself.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there's a recital and Kyungsoo is surprised... again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are welcome :)

"Yixing we’ll have to do the groceries tonight,” Kyungsoo says, walking into the man’s office near the end of his shift.

The man looks up.

Soo almost starts at the sight. Despite the smile, Yixing looks exhausted, his face pinched, wan and pale. Circles under his eyes are pressed so deep they look permanent. Fanned out in front of him is a worryingly large stack of papers.

“Actually, I’ll go find Minseok,” Kyungsoo decides, turning back towards the door.

Quickly, Yixing makes a movement to stand, “I will do it.”

“All due respect hyung, but you look like you’re about to fall asleep.”

Yixing’s dimple pops into existence as he laughs, watch glinting on his wrist as he runs a hand through the shaved sides of his hair. Sun pokes through the window. The black curls make him look older, Kyungsoo thinks, remembering the blond.

“It’s seriously no trouble,” Kyungsoo reassures, “business is slow and we’re both clocking out in half an hour. You should rest before your recital.”

Yixing laughs again. It’s a sweet merry thing. “To appease you I will go home now. At least you were much nicer than Jongdae. He told me outright that I looked terrible!”

Kyungsoo waits for Yixing to tidy his papers and grab his jacket, holding the door open for him, letting him out first. He bows his head to the elder as he leaves. Letting out a satisfied breath – the man really doesn’t get enough time to rest – Kyungsoo heads back to the kitchen for his last half hour.

 

* * *

 

 Minseok looks rattled when Kyungsoo finds him.

“You okay hyung?”

“Yes,” the barista replies, shaking himself. “Do you have the list?”

Kyungsoo holds it up, combined courtesy of the waiters, baristas and chefs. Minseok wraps a scarf around his neck, smiling sweetly, and just like that he’s back to his normal, cute self.

“Should we ask for Jongdae’s help?” Kyungsoo asks him as they head to Minseok’s car, considering. As annoyingly loud and cheeky as the waiter can be, he is also nice to talk to, and there is something quite pleasant about his cat-like disposition.

“He left ten minutes ago.”

“Just us two then,” Kyungsoo says, smiling as the elder starts singing quietly along to the radio.

Similar in their default reservedness and no-nonsense attitudes, Kyungsoo and Minseok get along well, even though they don’t get to spend much time together. Despite being content to sit in the background like him, Minseok is also very adaptable and irresistibly sweet. Although he has a longer fuse than Kyungsoo, he has lost patience with Baekhyun before. Both moments are firmly cemented in Soo’s mind. They were brilliant.

Even stopping to chat to a disgruntled Tao, they get the shopping done in record time and head back to Exordium half an hour later, laughing and chatting all the while. It’s nice.

After they’ve stacked the groceries, they say their goodbyes for until tonight. Kyungsoo waves as Minseok’s car pulls out onto the road, still chuckling over the story that the elder told him about the time he was so drunk he thought he was controlling the snow.

With the way the last few days have gone, Kyungsoo is uncharacteristically cheerful as he leaves work. Singing along to the radio, he takes the long way home. Three hours left until the recital.

 

* * *

 

“Did you know that some of Chanyeol’s songs are being used?” Baekhyun says excitedly, leaning over the armrest to get in Kyungsoo’s face.

“Only ten times over,” Kyungsoo snaps, pushing him away. _Of course_ he would get stuck next to Baekhyun. “ _Now_ will you let me look at the program?”

“Nope,” Baekhyun replies, snatching the paper back as if he’d made a grab for it.

Jongdae, who is on Kyungsoo’s right, has the cheekiest smile on his face as he wedges his own program underneath his leg and Soo can’t figure out what they’re playing at. He sends a pleading look to Minseok who is between Jongdae and a stranger, but the elder also looks slightly uncomfortable.

Luckily, Chanyeol pulls Baekhyun into a conversation and he’s left alone with his thoughts, Jongdae turning to say something lowly to Minseok. From what Baekhyun has told him, Yixing appears later on, after intermission.

Kyungsoo breathes a sigh of relief as a hush falls over the hall.

The lights dim.

Flashes of white light start and the first dancer appears with the music, an appreciative murmur spreading through the crowd at the seamlessness. “J-Hope,” a voiceover announces. He moves in shifts and bursts, black hat hiding most of his face. The dancer takes to his knees, twisting his legs around in a way that doesn’t look real, before rearing back up to his feet.

Sitting back in his seat, Kyungsoo watches the dancer raptly, appreciatively, excited to see what the other acts will show.

 

* * *

 

Forty minutes and ten acts later, intermission is called. Kyungsoo stands to stretch his legs, mind processing the performances he has just seen. A mix of women and men, they’ve all been incredible, and with the differences in style varying widely, he hasn’t been bored. He cranes his head, only now just realizing how packed the dance hall is, streams of people making their way to the food window.

Junmyeon moves into Baekhyun’s empty seat asking how he’s been, and they make pleasant conversation until the lights flicker. With a smile, Junmyeon moves back to his seat on Chanyeol’s left. Kyungsoo misses the dancer’s introduction because Baekhyun is talking, and he elbows him in the ribs for it.

“Shut up,” he hisses, and although Baekhyun stares at him petulantly, he does shut his mouth.

A single floodlight illuminates the stage from below and the dancer starts to move behind the film curtain. In all black, the dancer’s movements are short and sharp to the rhythmic beat of the music. Fairly close to the stage, Kyungsoo can see under the dancer’s hat, and gets a surprise. It’s Sehun, the receptionist from Exoluxion. Moving forwards on his feet like he’s going to fall, Soo is surprised at his nimbleness, differing greatly from the rigid way he looked when still. Eyes never lifting to the crowd, Sehun’s face stays blank, neutral, even when he pulls off a particularly difficult-looking step sequence. For him it works.

Sehun disappears off-stage when a soft, twinkling melody starts. Bright and clear, the music is sweet; innocent. As is the voiceover when she announces “Kai.”

The film curtain rises slowly. Centre-stage, a white-haired figure reclines sideways on a throne. A single spotlight illuminates the man and all breath escapes Kyungsoo’s mouth. It’s Jongin.

Arm extended in a graceful arc, he lets his body follow the movement. Elegant, his leg sweeps out, body follows the movement until one foot is brushing the floor, head still tilted away.

The lilting voice of the singer is interrupted by cruel, echoing laughter and Jongin’s head snaps to the front, showing for the first time the jagged black mark painted from his ear to his neck.  Rearing back against the red velvet, own hand at his throat, eyes wide. Before the change fully registers, the bells are back and the mark is hidden again, Jongin reaching his hand to the side, and back, brushing against his lips.

Gracefully his body unwinds from the seat and he starts a spin across the stage. Dressed in white, barefoot with jeans, swallowed by a loose shirt unbuttoned to his sternum, the effect is ethereal. Like this he looks so young.

A violin screeches. Darker music overtakes the innocent, smooth movements replaced by jerky ones.

Stopped halfway through motion, his hand crawls up his shirt and gapes it wide. Back again to the sweet, Jongin’s body turns from the audience, shirt billowing as he begins to leap across the stage. Each side of the music flows into the other, so smoothly, Jongin starts one motion to one side and finishes it as the other. A jump where his ankles cross over and back turns into a fall onto his knee, crawling, crawling. Running to hide his face behind the throne for three beats, his hands curl around the armrests before he dances away again. Tempo getting faster now, the changes between innocent and evil are impossible to tell. He pirouettes, the spins getting slower until he stops, arms jerking up in unnatural angles, eyes ghoulishly wide, grimacing with all his teeth.

Falling back to his knees is how he ends, back arched, head thrown back, arms behind him, mouth opened in a scream that’s filled by the singer’s voice.

Kyungsoo subtly presses the back of his hand to his cheek when Jongin disappears backstage. It’s burning hot. He drops it into his lap when he notices Baekhyun’s head turn to him. Luckily, Yixing appears next – as ‘Lay’ – and his attention is snapped back towards the stage. Kyungsoo lets out a breath of relief.

They have all seen Yixing dance before, but somehow, he always manages to surprise them. Seeing him on stage, Kyungsoo would’ve claimed that this man was a different person; almost no correlation between the man who enjoyed making milk-art in people’s coffee and this confident dancer. He has two backups behind him, but Yixing is easily the most captivating, moves so smooth. Fluid as he rolls his hips, bringing eyes to where his shirt is fully unbuttoned. Dropping one eye in a wink, Yixing mouths along to the song as he drops and slides along the ground, ending with his leg extended. Flipping over to his front, he grinds his hips down and Kyungsoo swears he hears someone down their row sigh.

The song ends with Yixing facing away from the audience, shirt clinging to his back, arms held in a ‘Y.’ Three more dancers appear from the sides as the music starts again and Yixing is still until the chorus. He joins them then, taking point in the formation. Each dancer takes their turn at the front, and Yixing does two rotations before he disappears into the wings.

Once the dancers have all filed off, the lights dim until the stage is only lit from the sides. Yixing returns, walking in slowly from the left, so Jongin, coming from the right, can meet him in the middle. They’re both in all black now, although Jongin’s feet are still bare. Back-to-back, still facing the wings, they both lift their arms to their face. Each hold a strip of black fabric. Palms flat against the material, they each tie the makeshift blindfolds around their heads. Behind the binding, Jongin’s eyes shut, eyelashes and cloth brushing the top of his cheekbones. It’s practically obscene. When Yixing secures his, the music starts.

Electronic, almost club-like, the glitchy track immediately surrounds the hall, Jongin and Yixing moving to the staccato beat as if they’re tied; when one moves away, the other follows. Their dances aren’t quite the same but are complete, ying and yang. They both sweep into the middle, moving so fluently around each other it’s as if they could see, Yixing bending to the side, Jongin sweeping up to the right. Skin-tight, their clothes hide nothing of their body movements, pressing close to their torsos when they roll their hips.

Unfortunately it’s a short segment, only lasting about a minute. Yixing stares at the cloth as he lifts it away, mouth slightly open, transfixed. Jongin’s jaw cocks up when his hand pulls the blindfold over his head, jawline sharp, mouth opening in a smirk. Kyungsoo's higher functions abandon ship. Both blindfolds flutter to the ground before the stage goes black.

A lone piano breaks the temporary quiet. A large contrast to the previous style, stripped down to the bone as just the pianist plays the intro.

Kyungsoo blinks in surprise, recognising the music instantly… It’s the recorded song Baekhyun, Chanyeol and him performed for Chanyeol’s showcase all those years ago.

Light shines now on two previously-unused areas of the stage. Sehun appears on the left, then Jongin to the right, taking their respective places on two rectangles darker than the rest. Jongin’s shirt is white. Sehun’s spotlight dims.

Jongin stretches his arm up, the other coming to touch his face on its way down. He throws himself into a spin, landing on one knee. It’s surprising how gentle he makes the action look. In awe, Jongin laces his fingers slowly together, before he rises back up.  A brief smile. He spins. His hand comes around to knock himself gently on his head, falling again to his knees.

The spotlight switches to Sehun, whose mouth is slightly open. Preferring short movements, his style is less ballet-inclined; however, the simplicity is no less emotive.

The singer starts to sing as Jongin’s spotlight comes back up and Kyungsoo’s ears redden slightly, recognizing his voice.

Detaching from the rest of the stage, the rectangles Jongin and Sehun are on descend slightly, filling with a layer of water. Eyes wide, he watches as both men start to dance again.

Stepping side to side and back again, they reach for someone that isn’t there. It’s a melancholic song, about losing a love, and even three years on it still affects him. Both men spin in place, dropping lower and lower until they’re lying down. Kyungsoo is transfixed. Wing-like, a spray of water follows the extension of their arms from brushing their hips to up above their head. An arm comes up to rest beside their head, bent at the elbow. Their left knee crosses over so they’re lying on their sides, their right leg moving underneath as if they’re trying to run, uselessly, ending again on their back. Pushing themselves up and sweeping an arm against the water in anger at the hopelessness.

Sehun’s arms come to his chest, hands crossed at the wrist, holding his heart. It’s bizarre because Jongin is mouthing the words behind his arm, which Kyungsoo’s own voice fills. Sehun stands, breathing heavy. His shirt has swung completely open. Jongin hits the ground to ‘ _cry, cry, cry,_ ’ while the other man simply mouths it, staring hard at the ground.

As the song ends, Jongin’s head tips up, hair falling behind, drops of water falling into his open mouth before he too stands, stomach heaving. His shirt is plastered to his chest enough to bare his collarbone but nothing else. Kyungsoo’s sweaty palms skim across his ripped jeans.

The audience bursts into applause.

 

* * *

 

 “That was incredible!” Chanyeol remarks for the second time, bouncing slightly as they file out into the cold air, grinning widely. The group murmurs their agreement. His excitableness is infectious.

Waiting for Yixing to show, the six of them form a sort-of line against the wall of the back entrance. Baekhyun stretches up onto his tiptoes to say something to his fiancé, slowing him down, their heads close, grey brushing pink. At the other end of the line, Minseok is asking how Junmyeon is, firmly ignoring Jongdae curled over his shoulder. Content to just watch, Kyungsoo tucks his blue leather jacket further around his black turtleneck, oddly nervous. Although charming, veterinarian Jongin is cute and goofy. Dancer Jongin was a whole other, ~~sexy~~ unexpected facet of him.

Everybody’s’ heads turn as the dancers start to appear out of the utility side door, but Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the way Minseok snaps at Jongdae. _That’s unlike him._ Smiling and wrapped in a navy varsity jacket, Yixing heads towards them, followed closely by Sehun and Jongin and Kyungsoo’s attention turns to them. Jongin’s hair is still the colour of winter, but he’s dry, and swallowed by a massive green jacket. Sehun is wearing a beanie, scarf and a long coat that Soo would never in a million years be able to pull off. A chorus of praise, congratulations and ‘well dones’ echo around the group as the three draw near.

“Everyone, this is Jongin and Sehun,” Yixing says as the line curls itself into a loose circle.

Those who already know them don’t say anything as the circle goes around while the others make their introductions, Junmyeon simply nodding, Baekhyun smiling with all his teeth and Kyungsoo waving shortly; subtly looking down to hide a smile, pleased he ended up next to Jongin. Minseok’s eyebrows have furrowed.

“Oh so _you’re_ the vet Baekhyun mentioned,” Jongdae pipes, looking Jongin up and down before turning to Sehun, “do you work at Exoluxion as well?”

“Yeah.” Sehun replies, voice quiet. “I’m the receptionist, as well as taking care of the dogs in the kennels.”

“Well it’s been nice to meet you both,” Minseok says, cutting off Jongdae’s reply in an odd sort of voice, eyes flicking to Sehun briefly, adding, “you guys did really well,” before walking away. Fading away isn’t an unusual tactic for Minseok who doesn’t often claim the spotlight, but what is odd, is the complete lack of smile.

“Jongdae?” Junmyeon asks softly, but the man has already gone after his best friend. As a group they watch the two disappear around the corner, Jongdae jogging to catch up, hand stretching out.

“I hope they’re okay,” Chanyeol says, worrying his lip.

“Do you think something’s going on?” Yixing wonders, concerned at their sudden departure. Junmyeon also seems worried, Sehun and Jongin unsure of what’s just gone on.

“I think Minseok hyung is just worried about his school work,” Kyungsoo suggests, squeezing Chanyeol’s wrist gently, uncertain of the real reason, but just trying to reassure his friends. Something _is_ off. But Kyungsoo senses it is something that won’t be helped by their interference.

“So Chanyeol,” Jongin says almost hesitantly, breaking the silence Kyungsoo’s words imposed, “Yixing told us that you wrote the song Sehun and I danced to?”

Gesturing to Baekhyun, now tucked under his arm, and Kyungsoo, Chanyeol replies “yes I did, it was for a showcase during my Uni years and these two sung with me on the track.”

“Really?”

Both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo nod. A muted, but matching surprise shows on Sehun’s face.

“It was so good!”

Kyungsoo waves him off, brushing the back of his head uncomfortably. Baekhyun soaks up the compliment, grinning like the peacock he is. Chanyeol smiles wide. Junmyeon and Yixing start talking between themselves, probably something about work. Sensing the man’s awkwardness, Chanyeol and Baekhyun cross the circle to pull Sehun into a conversation. This leaves Jongin and Kyungsoo slightly apart from the group and Soo takes a moment to appreciate how Jongin’s hair looks in contrast with his tan skin. The other man is looking down, fiddling with his rings.

“Chanyeol’s the fiancé?” Jongin almost whispers after a minute, and it takes a second for Soo to get what he’s referencing.

“Yeah, they’ve been engaged for about six months now,” Kyungsoo answers when he does figure it out, pushing his hands further into his pockets.

Before he can think of something else to say, Yixing turns to address the group, “dinner?”

Although routine to go out after events, not everyone in the group can always make it. “Sorry, Mongryong’s at home. We’ll make it up next week, promise,” Chanyeol says, apologetically, arm linked with Baekhyun who finishes the sentence for him.

Kyungsoo mimes vomiting and Baekhyun sticks his nose (and two fingers) up at him.

Their silent conversation goes unnoticed because Junmyeon looks up from his phone then, forehead scrunched, “sorry guys, they’ve just called me into a board meeting.”

“You three?”

Sehun, Jongin and Kyungsoo all say yes. Even if Kyungsoo hadn’t wanted to go, Yixing is looking at them so expectantly, he doubts anybody could say no if they didn’t already have plans. Nobody likes to disappoint Yixing.

Junmyeon, Baekhyun and Chanyeol say their goodbyes, heading off. At the end of the alleyway, another round of farewells are called to each other before they go in different directions, mist rising from their collective breaths under the streetlight.

Yixing turns to Kyungsoo. “Sehun and Jongin came with me so do you want to follow? Usual place?”

“Yeah sure.”

Jongin walks side-by-side with Kyungsoo as they head to the cars, “can I come with you?”

Kyungsoo nods, flattered, and Jongin calls the change of plans to Sehun. A little bit in love with the way Jongin has to fold himself to get into the car, ducking his head and bringing his knees to his chest, Soo feels heat rise to his cheeks and promptly starts the engine.

"How long have you been dancing?" Kyungsoo asks then, genuinely curious, looking over his shoulder as he backs out. The other man has shrugged out of his giant coat and is holding it across his lap, revealing a simple black button-up.

"I've done ballet and jazz since I was twelve, and started hip hop when I was, twenty? Do you sing much?"

"Not anything serious," Kyungsoo replies, eyes definitely on the road, not flicking at all to the pull of Jongin's shirt across his shoulders. "I've dabbled, but I've always wanted to be a chef."

Jongin hums. “Is your group all similar in age?”

“Fairly, Minseok’s the oldest at twenty-eight and Jongdae’s twenty-three which makes him the youngest. The rest of us all fall in the middle somewhere, I’m twenty-six myself,” Kyungsoo explains, laughing a minute later at Jongin’s disbelief that Minseok is that old. Nobody ever believes it at first. The man is just too cute. “What about you and Sehun?”

“I’m twenty-five. Sehun is twenty-three as well.”

It’s Kyungsoo’s turn to be shocked. Being so tall and broad in the shoulders, Kyungsoo had thought he was at least twenty-seven. “Sehun is that young?”

“Yup.”

Kyungsoo pulls into the carpark of _‘Wolf.’_ As per routine, the place they frequent is always the same, and the edgy, bar-slash-pub has been their hangout ever since they became friends. Modern and popular, with low-lighting and a karaoke machine, it’s great for both dinner and nights of drinking.

Because their group is so small this time around, Kyungsoo ignores their usual table for a smaller one with four stools. Lying his jacket across his seat in claim, he makes his way to the counter, Jongin following two steps behind. Kyungsoo pays for the food and both their drinks, waving the other man’s protests off, grinning in a way that Baekhyun would probably say looks evil.

Yixing and Sehun show up after Kyungsoo and Jongin have already started their basket of fries, laughing at Soo’s story of the time Chanyeol somehow managed to set fire to his sleeve in their dorm room and almost caused an evacuation.

He notices quickly that Sehun is very comfortable around these two. He still doesn’t speak much but judges his hyungs hard, acting almost bitchy; but when he smiles small, endearing, with a crooked bottom row of teeth, playing up his maknae status, Kyungsoo can’t help but think Sehun could get away with murder if he wanted. Around Sehun, Jongin’s professional demeanour is pretty tattered, both turning into giggling messes, especially in response to the faces Sehun pulls. Jongin’s laugh comes easily and loudly, almost hysterically when he lets himself go. It’s very charming.

They don’t stay long. When Yixing starts to yawn, Kyungsoo tells him to go home, “None of us are going anywhere hyung, we’ll see you soon. Now go get some sleep.”

It doesn’t take much convincing from the other two for him to agree and Sehun and Yixing wave goodbye. Jongin stays. It should be awkward, Soo thinks, but it isn’t.

"Have you always lived in Goyang?" He asks, sipping on his water.

"No, I’m from Suncheon originally," Jongin replies. "I moved here four years ago to do another year of study."

“That’s a fairly long way to come.”

He shrugs. “I was dedicated, I wanted the best options.” Fiddling with the napkin, Jongin pauses for a minute before continuing, “I owe a lot to Suho. He offered me placement straight away, which can be quite hard to find with someone with no experience.”

Kyungsoo agrees. Junmyeon is a good man, who has helped them all in different ways. Gave them jobs, let them work their hours around school or other commitments, and even helped with getting them other opportunities. It’s why they are so loyal. Not to mention most of them know the huge legal battle and massive upheaval the man had to overcome to be able to manage, let alone own, his three companies.

Their group having shrunk to only the two of them, they retire to an even smaller table, Kyungsoo taking the chair so Jongin can sink into the booth side. Now that Kyungsoo’s closer, he can see Jongin’s hair is only sprayed to look that way, it’s not actually dyed.

"Your stylist did well," he says unabashed, touching a strand of white hair before his brain can tell his body that’s a bad move. Shocked at himself, Soo pulls his hand back as if burnt. Since when does he initiate physical contact?

Unbothered, Jongin laughs, unaware of Kyungsoo’s mental meltdown. "You should've seen my last one. He put me in dreads!"

After that, they talk about work for a while. Kyungsoo listens attentively as Jongin talks, watching his long fingers picking at the bottle. Apparently, the senior veterinarian is amazing to work with, and although they’re close in age, has been doing this for years already, thanks to a genius-level IQ. At Jongin’s bequest, Kyungsoo then talks about his job and what his friends do. Unlike most people, Jongin is not surprised at Yixing’s title of manager, knowing how focused the man can get when learning a new dance.

“Please can I have your phone?” Jongin asks out of nowhere when their chatter tapers off.

Far too trustingly, Kyungsoo hands it over unlocked. There’s a moment of panic before he realises there won’t be anything incriminating on there. With having a friend as nosy and disregarding of privacy as Baekhyun, he’s learnt his lesson. Jongin types away for a minute, the cute little furrow back between his brow.

“Here,” he says, handing the phone back. “Text me.”

_Kyungsoo | 10:38_

_No._

Jongin laughs when he reads it, eyes curving into squints.

It’s an hour to midnight when they take pity on the staff, who are only looking after them at this point. Jongin looks very serious zipping his jacket up and Kyungsoo’s kind of horrified about how adorable he finds it. Night quietly tempered, they are lulled into the quiet, Jongin softly giving him directions to his flat. Speaking quietly gives him a lovely scratch to his voice.

The dancer almost leaves his phone in the car and Kyungsoo lunges across his seat to call out to him before he gets too far away. The constricting pressure of the seatbelt and twinging side is worth the smile and fingers brushing his as Jongin takes it back with a low, “thank you.”

“I’ll see you soon?”

“Most likely.” Kyungsoo replies, more calmly than he feels, especially with how blinding Jongin’s smile is, 1000 watts directed straight at him.

“Alright then, thank you for the ride and the food,” Jongin says, sliding his hand along the top of the door, shutting it gently.

Turning and walking up the path, he knocks at the door. _Those jeans should be illegal._ Noticing Kyungsoo waiting for him to get inside, Jongin smiles again.

Kyungsoo inclines his head, own smile turning into a full-blown grin when he drives off.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which nothing much happens but Mongryong is cleared and Kyungsoo sees his favourite vet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter is late and so short!! I'll make it up to you next time, promise :)

Watching Chanyeol and Baekhyun argue from the comfort of his armchair never really gets old.

Tuning them out, Kyungsoo sips from his mug, watching the heavy rain through the window. It’s quite beautiful, slanting across the road and painting it shiny, turning lights into low definition. Heat emanating from the fireplace and wrapped in a white sweater which sleeves fall over his hands, Kyungsoo feels content. Except with the noise level of course.

“Look, how about we take my car?” He offers, setting his cup down when their bickering doesn’t seem to have an end in sight.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol turn to him in unison, with identical, stupidly shocked faces.

"What?” Kyungsoo snaps, regretting having opened his mouth. “Neither of you idiots have impulse control. And I want to look at the animals,” he hastily tacks on the end, wincing inwardly.

Baekhyun's smile is too smug but for once doesn't say anything and Soo is very very grateful. Because not only does Chanyeol have the biggest ears, but also the biggest mouth, and Kyungsoo does not need people to think – _know_ \- he has a crush on the vet at Exoluxion.

Somehow Kyungsoo ends up in the backseat, Baekhyun having beat him to the passengers’ side, and Kyungsoo hits him upside the head as he scoots across. It’s odd not being behind the wheel of his own car, but he honestly doesn’t mind that much, Mongryong a bundle of warmth on his lap as he stares out the window.

Exoluxion’s carpark is ridiculously busy and they make three laps before Chanyeol suggests one of them goes ahead.

“Soo can,” Baekhyun offers, turning in his seat to look glinting eyes at him, “he’s got things in there he’d like to do,” he continues cheekily, and Kyungsoo’s _this close_ to hitting him.

Choosing not to rise to the bait, Kyungsoo sighs, but gets out of the car. In the moment it takes to juggle the umbrella, shut the door and make sure he doesn’t drop the corgi, his hair gets absolutely soaked.

Thankfully no one is around to see his mad dash across the carpark.

Jongin practically greets him at the entrance in his scrubs, taking Soo’s umbrella for him and shaking it off. Unpleasantly wet, Kyungsoo uses two fingers to move his hair off his forehead, grimacing at the droplets trickling underneath his jumper. Somehow his clothing was spared. Catching Sehun’s eyes from across the room, Kyungsoo returns his smile before the younger is drawn into a conversation with a concerned customer.

“Are you the vet today?” Kyungsoo asks, after thanking Jongin, shifting Mongryong so he’s more comfortable.

“Just finished actually,” Jongin replies semi-apologetically, Soo’s umbrella hanging off his arm. He reaches over to stroke the corgi’s nose as they move away from the entrance.

The office door opens and the other vet steps out. It must be senior vet. Tan, with a fairly wide face and deep dimples, his age would be hard to place if Soo didn’t know he was a year older than Jongin. The room goes quiet briefly as he calls for the next patient.

Kyungsoo steps aside for the woman moving past, the large bird on her shoulder squawking at him. Realising just how many people are milling around, he asks Jongin why Exoluxion is so busy today of all days.

“It’s an open day so anyone can come to look at the animals. We’ve been promoting for a week for tomorrow’s adoption day.”

Baekhyun appears at Kyungsoo’s elbow then, to take Mongryong, and he almost starts, not seeing either him or Chanyeol walk in. Baekhyun greets Jongin and takes the umbrella from him, before excusing himself and taking the seat next to Chanyeol, smirking slightly at the person he beat to it. _Little shit._ Overhearing Jongin asking Soo if he wants to see the animals, Baekhyun turns to leer at him. Kyungsoo mouths “I hate you,” back.

“It’s just through there, I’ll be a minute. I have to change.”

Kyungsoo’s dislike of crowds rears its head when he sees so many people, but the promise of Jongin’s return stays him from leaving. Moving through the throng of people carefully, Kyungsoo strays to where the people are less, the animals not as friendly or as good-looking.

It’s warmer in here. He pushes his sleeves to his elbows, wandering to the very end corner, where a lone kitten sits. Small, black and ratty looking, it raises its hackles when it sees him approach.

Checking his shoulder that no one is around, he holds out his hand. It hisses at him, baring tiny pointed teeth. Patiently, Kyungsoo crouches, making himself as small as possible. It takes a solid five minutes but the cat eventually does approach enough to let him stroke a finger along its back. Kyungsoo makes a small surprised sound. A small rumble like a car motor starts.

Naturally this is when Jongin returns. “I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen Peach let someone get close to her.”

“Really?” Kyungsoo asks, looking up to see a genuine surprise on Jongin face as the kitten tentatively bumps her head into his hand. Out of uniform now, he’s wearing a white tee, half-hidden by a faded denim over-shirt. He looks good.

Letting his fingers brush through the matted fur at Peach’s neck – _who named this poor thing_ – Kyungsoo shifts slightly to let the pressure off his thighs, Jongin’s hand coming to steady him; warm through his sweater. As if to reiterate his point from earlier, Peach hisses at him when Jongin steps closer. Hastily backing away, he looks a little startled, which makes Soo laugh.

“I’m more of a dog person.”

"Have you thought about adopting one?" Kyungsoo asks, scratching behind Peach’s ear and enjoying the way her weird motor-rumble purr gets louder.

Jongin looks down, "ialreadyhavethree."

"Pardon?" He says when Jongin’s words come out too quick and jumbled.

The other man avoids his gaze, fiddling with the corner of his shirt, "I already have three. Oh, but don't worry, my flat mate works from home and he looks after them!"

Kyungsoo has to turn his face into the arm petting Peach to hide his smile.

“Oh, here by the way,” Jongin adds, still slightly flustered, handing Kyungsoo a small white towel.

He mustn’t hide his confusion well because Jongin rushes to explain that Sehun gave it to him to give to Soo to dry his hair.

“Are you working tomorrow?” Kyungsoo asks, swiping the towel across the worst of the wet – grimacing at the droplets he can’t reach, making their way down his back – before standing up.

“Yeah. Helping adopt out animals the first half and then taking over the pet wash,” Jongin replies as they weave through the throngs of people.

“I don’t think you’ll have any problem adopting them out,” Soo comments, pulling Jongin to him to help him avoid getting steamrolled by a gaggle of children. A completely necessary move.

In the end he needn’t bother, Baekhyun ends up steamrolling them both, cutting them off at the kennel entrance. Helpful as he is, Jongin steadies Baekhyun by the shoulder, propping him up straight while Kyungsoo just shoves the man off him.

“Mongryong is all healed!” Baekhyun says, voice reaching shouting level, shaking Kyungsoo’s arm vigorously.

“We’re going for a celebratory lunch,” Chanyeol says, smile fond behind his rolling eyes. “You’re both welcome to join if you want?”

He looks at the couple, and then Jongin. “I’m in.”

“Sure,” Jongin says smiling, returning Kyungsoo’s gaze shyly.

“Yay!” Baekhyun carols, clapping his hands twice. Snatching the keys from where they hang off Chanyeol’s finger, he turns and flits out of the kennels before Kyungsoo can think about stopping him.

“You driving?” Chanyeol asks, a laugh in his words.

“Was planning to,” Kyungsoo sighs.

Mongryong shifts in his friend’s arms, tongue lolling happily. “I’ll make sure he sits in the back.”

He’d better, considering Baekhyun doesn’t have his full licence. Chanyeol disappears out of the door, striding with long legs to catch up with his ridiculous fiancé.

Jongin waves him forwards. So Kyungsoo goes through first, holding the door open for him. Facing back into the kennels as he is, he sees Peach claw at someone who tries to stroke her and he grins. He smiles wider when Jongin’s hand skims across his middle as he passes.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are cute animals and a cute Jongin, and Kyungsoo can't help himself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys! I was away for a week in a place with no wifi, and we got snowed in! However I did finish the companion piece for this story, which will be ready when this one finishes, so not all is bad :)
> 
> Enjoy, and please leave comments x
> 
> (credit to my sister/editor for the Chanyelp and Barkhyun joke)

Despite initial concern, Friday morning dawns bright and clear. The rain having petered off late yesterday afternoon the ground has dried up, leaving nothing but a pleasant smell behind.

Without the usual amount of staff, Exordium is quiet in a way it never is, no noise but his shoes and the hum of the refrigerator. Double-checking his menu, Kyungsoo sings to himself, having allowed himself the luxury of the radio.

Without the usual disruptions, Kyungsoo is twice as efficient and finishes everything with ten minutes to spare, three hours passing in the blink of an eye. With a self-satisfied hum, he rests his hands on the serving window, sitting back on his heels as he looks at the darkened front of the store. Jongdae chooses this moment of relaxation to burst into the kitchen.

The younger skips over to him. “How’s it going Soo?”

“Great, until you got here,” Kyungsoo answers shortly, hand on where his heartbeat is trying to return to normal.

“Bet it was quiet too,” Minseok comments, walking in at a more sedate pace, removing his jacket, revealing a white, well-filled out button-up.

Jongdae tears his eyes away from Minseok as the two older men high-five, protesting indignantly. Kyungsoo ruffles his hair as if he’s twelve not twenty-three, laughing when Jongdae huffs and hits him in the arm.

“Stop mucking around Jongdae,” Minseok says, but the laughter in his eyes betrays all pretense of seriousness.

Jongdae grumbles some more, but follows the other man into the staffroom to get changed.

With the return of peace, Kyungsoo polishes his knives, sliding them neatly back into their compartments. He’ll need them again for sure, but not for another half hour, when the orders start to come in.

When Minseok returns, he leans against the opposite counter to Kyungsoo. Animated, hair slightly mussed and cheeks lightly pink from laughing, he looks a lot happier than he has recently.

Jongdae appears a minute later. Looking focused, he takes a spot next to Minseok, but doesn’t add anything to their conversation. Although fun and loud, Jongdae is incredibly dedicated and has just high a work ethic as the rest of them.

Several other staff walk in, the noise level immediately increasing. Everybody seems to be in a good mood today. Two dessert chefs begin preparing their menu on another counter.

The clock shows half past ten when Minseok flips open his notebook and adjusts the front of his apron. “Show time?”

Jongdae sticks his head out the door and gives them the thumbs up.

“Show time.”

 

* * *

 

 "Be careful Jongdae!" He warns the waiter as he spins away with three plates on his arm.

"Don't need to worry about me Soo!"

(Past broken platters, several hurried clean-ups and even one ripped shirt beg to differ).

"I always worry about you Jongdae," he calls after the man.

With the amount of orders coming in, Kyungsoo has been kept busy. Luckily not as busy as the dessert chefs mind you, the poor things. The menu, being simplified, is very easy to do and Kyungsoo is soon tired of it.

Becoming impatient the nearer it grows to one, when he finally does finish, he practically races to the staffroom. Never before has his time in a kitchen dragged so. Changing into dark wash jeans, brown boots and a white shirt, Soo eventually forces himself to slow down, embarrassed at his own eagerness.

Met with warmth when he walks outside, it feels like spring rather than autumn. Across the road, the park is bursting with people: families clustered at the picnic tables, couples lying in front of the stage, children chasing one another and tumbling on the grass. A bunch of balloons are tied to the oak tree, weaving in the air, a multi-coloured latex group of flowers. He feels so very proud of Junmyeon.  

The nearer he gets, the more the pastel scene sharpens. It smells sweet, laughter coming from every direction. Animals yap and chirp from their places, only adding to the saccharine harmony of noises. Everywhere Kyungsoo looks, people are walking away with animals. (Kyungsoo tries not balk at the sugariness of the scene. Adorable isn’t really his thing).

Kyungsoo spots Yixing talking to Sehun, the latter with a white bichon frise in his arms. Junmyeon is less than a metre away from the two, talking to someone. He heads towards them. 

“How do you know Kris?” Kyungsoo hears Yixing ask as he walks into range.

Kyungsoo’s steps slow and he stops before they can see him. Being Chinese, Yixing was closer to Kris and Luhan than most, and as far as Kyungsoo knows, he still stays in contact. It’s still an uncomfortable topic to most of them, so they don’t talk about it.

“I met him a few years ago, and when I went to China last year I stayed with him for a bit. He owns a clothes shop over there,” Sehun says, oblivious to the attention on him.

Kyungsoo turns subtly to where Junmyeon is standing. His face has gone blank at the mention of his ex-partner.  

From what Kyungsoo had figured out, Yifan and Junmyeon were set to co-own and manage a handful of business under their own company, when Yifan bailed. Too late for him to back out, Junmyeon had to do it all on his own. To this day, no one knows what made Yifan leave. What they did know, was that a massive lawsuit was being filed against their current management, and Junmyeon was now going to have to go through it alone. In a moment that Kyungsoo is still proud of, all the workers rallied, and with the help of Yixing and Minseok, and the support of the others, they won the lawsuit. Ownership went to Junmyeon.

Unwilling to intrude, Kyungsoo waves at the three as he passes, but continues on, drawn to where the lines are thinner Standing back a metre to avoid most of the people as he is, he can’t see much of the animals and takes to watching the people instead., Kyungsoo watches two guys around his age argue about a floppy-eared bunny. He thinks he recognises the short, cute one form the dance recital.

“Taetae no,” He hears the shorter one say, exasperated, like he’s said the words so many times they’ve rolled dry in his mouth. ‘Taetae’ pulls a hideous face, but stands up and although pouting, let’s himself be dragged away. Kyungsoo’s eyes follow the two, intrigued, but his attention is pulled away when he hears his name.

"No." Kyungsoo says, turning to the couple, already knowing what they’re going to say. "You two are not getting another dog."

Chanyeol looks at him, guilt written all over his face.

“Oh no, you didn’t.”

“We did,” Chanyeol says, hand shifting to reveal a black curly-haired ball of fluff in his arms.

Kyungsoo groans. “You two are ridiculous. I’m not babysitting this one unless you pay me.”

"Oh my god," Baekhyun interjects, out of nowhere, finger held up as if what’s he’s going to say next is ground-breaking. "We should name it Barkhyun."

 _Seriously._ What had he done in his past life that was terrible enough to deserve this. "Neither of you two should be allowed to take care of animals."

"What about Chanyelp?" Jongdae adds, appearing from thin air, because he can’t help himself.

Kyungsoo would totally kick his ass when the man darts past, because _not helpful_ , but you know, people tend to frown upon the public abusing staff, and Jongdae can’t be held responsible for holding plates on a good day.

In the few seconds Kyungsoo spent glaring at Jongdae, Baekhyun has disappeared.  _Thank god for small miracles…_

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo stand in silence for a minute to listen to the music.  On the stage, a younger guy is singing, sun glinting of his dark purple hair. His voice is beautiful. When Kyungsoo comments on it, Chanyeol, being the excitable music-buff that he is, immediately launches into an excited ramble. Apparently, the boy is insanely talented considering his age. They chat for a while, before Chanyeol spots his fiancé in the distance (probably doing something that he shouldn’t be doing but Kyungsoo doesn’t care enough to look), hurriedly excusing himself.

Kyungsoo stands for a minute, not minding the solitude. As by yourself you can be in a park full of people anyway. Deciding he can’t wait any longer, he checks his watch. One forty-five. Pretending he doesn’t already know where the dog-wash has been set up, he wanders over to the far corner of the park.

Honestly, it’s a bit of an eyesore, a large, grey, metal box with numerous dials and buttons sticking out of it. The man standing there makes well enough up for it, in a soft pink sweater, brown hair flopping across his forehead.

“Hi.”

“Oh, hi Kyungsoo!” Jongin says when he looks up, peering through locks of hair, hands battling to keep a dog in the water. "Could you please hand me the shampoo...? no… yeah that one."

Kyungsoo grabs the bottle and reaches over the top to hand it to Jongin.

Not wanting to be on his tiptoes for the whole conversation, he walks around to the side and slips into the open stand, watching the man flick his hair out of his eyes. For the fifth time. Fishing in his pocket for the flat clip he still carries out of habit from when Chanyeol had long hair, Kyungsoo sweeps Jongin’s hair to the left with gentle hands but without warning; pinning it in place.

Satisfied, Kyungsoo sits back on his heels, until he notices the ends of Jongin’s sweater still hanging in the water.

"God, how do you manage animal surgeries," Kyungsoo mutters under his breath, leaning further into the man’s space to roll up the sopping shirt sleeves. The man goes silent.

Kyungsoo looks up to see Jongin looking at him with a cute little furrow between his brows. He withdraws his hands slowly, tentatively, "what?"

"Nothing,” Jongin says easily, and smiles. He blinks.

Kyungsoo leans his hands against the stainless steel, "are you meant to have someone helping you?"

" _Meant_ to. Sehun's busy carrying Vivi around instead," Jongin explains, rolling his eyes as he dries the dog off. "That dog could go to sleep and he’d be proud."

That explains the bichon.

Jongin hands the cleaned dog to its owner. Judging by the colour of her cheeks when he steps back into the stall, she’s not immune to the beauty of his smile either. Jongin pauses to wipe his brow before calling for the next person.

“Do you want help?” Kyungsoo offers, while the woman is still walking over, now having watched Jongin eagle-like the past ten minutes.

“Only if you want to.”

He wants to. “What would you like me to do?”

“Thank you hyung. Come onto my left side. If you could shampoo them, I’ll wash. Then I’ll dry while you hold?”

“You’re the boss,” Kyungsoo replies.

Shyly greeting the older woman who walks up, he bows, before gingerly taking the cat from her hands. Informing her it won’t take long, Jongin inclines his head as he gestures to a row of seating she can wait at if she wants.

"You were right about not having trouble adopting out animals" Jongin says out of the blue as he dries the tabby, the cat surprisingly easy to handle. “At the moment, we're already looking at about half."

"That's good then." Kyungsoo replies, genuinely pleased.

"Peach is still here though," Jongin adds.

Kyungsoo deadpans. Jongin shrugs at the raised eyebrow, feigning innocence, and Kyungsoo laughs and lets it go.

"Well _this_ is cute,” comes a comment, words stressed teasingly.

 _Baekhyun._ Kyungsoo looks up glaring, pointing at Baekhyun who has just opened his mouth again, mouthing at him, "you. Don't say a word."

For once behaving, Baekhyun snaps his mouth shut but doesn’t lose the smirk.

Kyungsoo ignores him, tuning into Jongin saying, "-pposed to help me out Sehunnie."

"You seem to have it under control now," The man replies indifferently, playing with one of Vivi’s paws.

Apparently Baekhyun and Sehun have bonded over being brats as well as their dogs. Luckily, they only briefly stop to annoy, and move on quickly, leaving Jongin and Soo to wash the pets in peace.

Ten minutes before Jongin’s shift at the wash ends, they switch jobs. Soo submerges his hands in the tepid water happily enough.

Just as he begins hosing the dog’s fur down, it kicks its leg out, and the water splashes up into his face. Coughing, Kyungsoo waves off Jongin’s concern as most of it just went into his mouth. They continue on without much hassle, except now there is an irritating patch on his cheek he wants off. Kyungsoo tries to blow the bubbles off but can't quite get it. It itches. His hands are full of foam and dog.

"Let me," Jongin says, his thumb swiping across his cheekbone, hand resting against Kyungsoo's face in a very unnecessary way.

Kyungsoo looks at him with wide eyes, Jongin staring right back, and he doesn't know what would’ve happened next, because he lets go of the hose.

Flailing wildly, it sprays across their chests causing them both to flinch, shouting in shock, before he can get a hand back around it.

Frozen in surprise, they both look at each other, dripping with water, before bursting into laughter.

 

* * *

 

 Somewhat dry now – there’s a wet spot at the bottom of his shirt and Jongin’s hair is dark with water – Kyungsoo and Jongin make their way through the waning crowd to stand by the stage, a few metres back behind all the people lying down.

He startles when arms wrap around his middle from behind. Kyungsoo relaxes when a chin rests on his shoulder, a face pressed against his cheek. Minseok.

"I always forget how good he is,” the elder says, swaying slightly as they watch Chanyeol sing, squeezing his arms. He's warm, and this is very cute.

Kyungsoo hums, one hand patting where Minseok’s fingers are laced around his body. The elder’s hands are pressed to where his shirt is wet like a second skin, hiding where the fabric is gone see-through.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Jongin looking at their hands, confused. Jongdae is there too now,  scowling at the stage.

 

* * *

 

At four-thirty, once the event has ended, the people have gone, and the rubbish all picked up, Chanyeol sits back on the stage; which isn’t being picked up until six. Plucking his guitar aimlessly, long legs crossed on the bar, Kyungsoo takes pity and sits next to him. He will swear he doesn’t mean for it to happen, but he finds himself pulled into a duet.

When they finish, Baekhyun strips off his shirt and waves it around as he runs in a circle screaming. Jongdae is also screaming, at a louder volume, but settles for simply pulling up his shirt. _For God’s sake._ Minseok and the others are all also displaying varying levels of judgement. Yixing is giggling into his hand. Junmyeon gestures his arms wildly at them when a family walks past, hissing for them to act like adults and how un-family-friendly they’re being; apparently forgetting the fact he was smiling at them a second ago.

They all end up staying in the park until night falls, lying in various shapes on the grass, laughing and chatting.

Junmyeon is curled up on the grass. Sehun is sat against the tree, cuddling Vivi, while Chanyeol is rolling around in the grass with Toben (as they decided to call him), Baekhyun star-fished next to his fiancé. The couple aren’t the only ones who couldn’t resist the animals. Minseok adopted a fluffy white cat with eyes as pretty as his are. Yixing ended up with a tiny bunny he promptly named Poppit, who he is cradling in his arms. And despite all his teasing words, Kyungsoo was also weak, to not only Jongin’s eyes but also the kitten’s. Lying on his front, he’s teasing Peach with a bit of stolen string. Jongin is beside him, legs stretched out, leaning back on his arms.

Only Jongdae is standing, pacing, unusually restless.

“Work drinks tomorrow night?” He asks suddenly, turning, addressing the group.

Differing versions of yes ring around the circle; a groan from Junmyeon, a grunt from Kyungsoo and an excited “YES!” from Baekhyun. After a pause so brief, it was barely a pause, the invitation is extended to Sehun and Jongin. They agree.

Hand holding up his chin, Baekhyun turns to Yixing. “Whose turn is it to sober drive?”

“From memory, Chanyeol and Junmyeon.”

Chanyeol groans but Junmyeon’s exhale is almost relieved. They all turn to him and he straightens his arms, “last time we went, I spent six hours in a meeting the next morning, with a pounding headache and queasy stomach.”

They laugh.

Last time ‘Wolf’ closed early so they ended up at Yixing’s. As the one-year anniversary of Exordium, they decided ‘proper celebration’ was in order. Kyungsoo volunteered to be sober driver, but that ended pretty quickly when it was realised no one would be going home.

Jongdae vomited, Minseok performed half a strip-tease before he fell asleep on the table, and Kyungsoo is pretty sure Chanyeol and Baekhyun desecrated half the surfaces in Yixing’s house. Kyungsoo doesn’t remember much else, except for stumbling around hugging people and bursting in on Baekhyun and Chanyeol in the study. When he went screaming to Yixing about it, he found the man asleep in the bath with a pan over his head, after spending most the night singing nursery rhymes.

(There is also a video of Junmyeon on all of their phones, wearing nothing but a sheet-dress, dancing to a girl-band pop song. They’re 90% sure he still doesn’t know it exists).

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kyungsoo doesn't realize his friends are plotting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! this is the last proper chapter of Autumn Eyes (the last being a flash forward). Hope you enjoy, please leave kudos and comment, I'd love to hear what you think!
> 
> (Is Exo's comeback killing anyone else? The Eve live performance I can't deal)

"Who am I?" Baekhyun is saying, with bent knees and face screwed up in an ugly, exaggerated frown; an obvious mockery. His hair is back to black.

"Someone who's about to get hit,” Kyungsoo answers for him, walking into the staffroom.

Baekhyun scrambles back into his seat and rearranges himself into nonchalance, pretending that he wasn’t waiting for this exact moment for Kyungsoo to arrive. "Oh hi Soo, we were just talking about... well that doesn't matter now." He laughs uncomfortable, cringing when Kyungsoo lifts his hand, but it's just to pull his toque off.

An afterthought. Kyungsoo’s eyes narrow. "How did you get in here? The front of the store is closed."

Jongdae’s head snaps up. Obviously, the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. Sharp, Minseok’s eyes turn to him as well.

"The back door?" Baekhyun tries fruitlessly.

"There's a passcode."

Baekhyun shrugs, "looked over Jongdae's shoulder one time."

Jongdae looks offended.

"It changes every month."

Minseok and Jongdae’s heads swing back and forth, as if Baekhyun weaselling out of answers and Kyungsoo trying to trap him in his lie is a very interesting tennis match. Kyungsoo’s hard stare wins out in the end. Even if Baekhyun is wholly unapologetic about it.

"Well maybe it was more than one time," Baekhyun admits, waving his hand as if the point is redundant, "now, onto more important things..."

They never find out what the important thing is, because Junmyeon and Yixing walk in, Junmyeon shooing Baekhyun out far too nicely considering he doesn't actually work here. Kyungsoo isn’t too fussed about not knowing. It’s most likely something trivia - probably about what he had for lunch or something because Baekhyun thinks everything that he does is important.

Honestly, Kyungsoo doesn’t even know why Baekhyun bothered to come, considering they’re all going home and will see each other in another ten minutes anyway.

He shakes his head. Nothing Baekhyun does makes sense.

Waving, Kyungsoo heads out to his car, wrapping his jacket tighter around his shoulders at the cold.

 

* * *

 

Showering quick, then changing into tight blue jeans, converse and a black jacket over a white shirt, he doesn’t stop for long. Hair left alone to dry onto his forehead in messy curls, he checks his keys, phone and wallet are in his pocket, before stepping outside. He’s the only one in walking distance to Wolf, something that has come in handy more than a few times.

Chanyeol is the first person he sees, facing towards the bar, hands in his coat pockets. A cold mist has settled in the air above the streetlamps. With quiet feet, Kyungsoo stands a little behind him, enough to get him noticed eventually.

The man flinches a good metre to the right when he catches him in his peripheral.

“Will you ever stop doing that!?” Chanyeol cries, hand rubbing his chest. “ _Obviously not_ ,” he sighs a second later, when Kyungsoo’s mouth splits into a smile. What? He can be cheeky too.

"Are you the first person here?"

"Yeah."

"Where's Baekhyun?"

"He’ll be here in a minute."

"What?" Kyungsoo says, horror making his eyes wide. Although he was teasing Baekhyun the other day about not having a car, he didn’t mean it. Baekhyun is a terrible driver. Like clutching-your-seatbelt-in-frozen-hands type scary.

Chanyeol senses his panic. "Don't worry, he's in the car with Junmyeon, Min and Jongdae. They just sent me ahead. They won’t be long."

True to his word, they come around the corner less than a minute later (they hear them before they see them). Baekhyun bounds around the corner straight into Chanyeol for a hug, “you literally saw him two seconds ago,” Kyungsoo mutters. Jongdae is only a step behind, whining to Baekhyun – who continues the conversation pressed to Chanyeol’s chest.

Junmyeon and Minseok follow, talking about work. Muffled by Chanyeol’s gigantic jacket, Baekhyun tells them to knock it off ( _“don’t be boring you two, we get that you’ve got sticks up your asses, but seriously”_ ) and then proceeds to demand to know when the others will be there; loudly. Multiple times.

Kyungsoo ends up between Minseok and Jongdae. Tonight, Minseok's brown hair has been left to wave, sitting just on his forehead in two panels. It looks good. He smiles when Kyungsoo tells him so. In contrast, Jongdae is wearing all black, ripped jeans and a leather jacket, with his hair pushed back and the rare addition of eyeliner.

He pulls his phone from his coat pocket to check it.

“Jongin says they’ll be here in five and that Yixing said to just go in,” Kyungsoo says, reading the text that has just come in. No one, thank god, mentions anything, or even acknowledges the fact they’ve exchanged numbers, but. Baekhyun’s cheek is lifted to match his lip as he holds the door open for Kyungsoo.

The group falls into their booth. Familiar, and worn, the warmth of the bar winds its way around them, as they settle amongst the black seats and dark wood. Junmyeon shrugs out of his jacket.

As the last three in, Jongdae, Minseok and himself are volunteered to go get the drinks. Jongdae doesn’t even write their orders down but recites them flawlessly to the bartender. Perks of being a water he supposes. A grumpy-looking man around their own age, with dyed platinum hair, serves them, and doesn’t smile once. It doesn’t bother the other two, Minseok and Jongdae leaning into each other to chat between themselves. Not minding, Kyungsoo watches the glasses being filled and bottles being retrieved, fingers fiddling with a coaster.

“Hello stranger,” comes an almost shy greeting, a hip bumping into his own.

“Hello,” Kyungsoo replies, turning to look at Jongin, whose eyes are squinted into a smile. Jongdae and Minseok echo the greeting.

Jongin adds three drinks to the tab. Apparently Yixing asked him to go ahead while he helps Sehun look for his phone. The drinks are carried to the table with a waiter’s ease, and Jongin slides in next to Junmyeon as they are doled out.  

Along with Minseok and Jongdae, Kyungsoo is still standing when Yixing and Sehun walk in. Kyungsoo startles when he hears the maknae remark to Yixing that _Luhan_ had told him about this place.

Minseok’s body has gone stiff at the mention of his ex. Kyungsoo, alarmed, flicks his eyes to the other guys at the table, but no one else has heard. He relaxes minutely.

Luhan had broken up with Minseok one afternoon, out of nowhere, loudly, while the man was starting his shift one day. Yixing, coldest anyone had ever heard him, asked Luhan to leave, while Jongdae had pulled the frozen man into the staffroom, and called Junmyeon in to take over while Yixing made the coffees. There’s still a lot of unresolved feelings about it. Understandable, because the smiles didn’t reach Minseok’s eyes for _months._

Pretending he hadn’t heard anything to give Minseok peace of mind, Kyungsoo squeezes in next to Baekhyun, which surely he’s going to regret, and Sehun slides in next to him. In a tight black long-sleeve that’s tucked into navy jeans, and brown boots, he looks good, and Kyungsoo wonders just how he came to know Luhan.

Content to let their chatter wash over him, Kyungsoo’s gaze wanders to behind the bar. The sullen looking bartender that just served them is cleaning glasses now, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

“Yoongi!” Someone calls from the back, “can you go please get the rubbish out?”

If possible his face gets even more irritable, but he does as he asks. Baekhyun laughs, following Kyungsoo’s line of sight, throwing an arm around the back of his chair, “hey he looks like you before you met vet charming.”

“Before he met who?” Sehun asks, quiet and curious.

“No one.” Kyungsoo says, elbowing Baekhyun in the ribs, knocking his arm off. Glaring daggers, the only thing that saves Baekhyun from getting a harder punch is that he didn’t say it loud enough for anyone else to hear.

Scolded, Baekhyun turns to Chanyeol.

Kyungsoo himself asks Sehun if he’s just working at the moment and what he wants to be doing. Shy, maybe even a little embarrassed, Sehun tells him quietly that he’s been travelling and has done a small amount of modelling, and that he has no idea what he wants to do, but working as a receptionist and being around dogs is enjoyable for now. Kyungsoo nods, and explains what he does. After that, Junmyeon asks from across the table how Vivi is and Soo zones out of that conversation.

His eyes catch again on the bartender, who is back behind the bar now, serving a man who he obviously knows, familiar in their greeting, a gummy smile starting slow on his face as he talks to him. Is that what Kyungsoo looks like when he looks at Jongin?

Throat slightly blocked all of a sudden, Kyungsoo swallows his mouthful before setting the bottle down. He looks up to see Jongin's eyes intent on him. Subconsciously, a smile starts, slow, like honey, the left side of his mouth curling up to match the right, in a way Baekhyun once told him was devastating.

Yes _,_ _yes he does._

 

* * *

 

Several drinks later, Kyungsoo thinks they’re all feeling it a little.

For one, people are laughing at Junmyeon’s jokes. Yixing's face is flushed. Minseok giggles which makes them all giggle, a hat that was procured from somewhere sitting against the back of his head, beret-style. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are pelted with napkins and bottle tops when everyone follows Sehun’s gaze to where they’re making out in the corner of the booth.

His own body is relaxed, alcohol settling into his bloodstream, pleasantly woozy.

Someone decides darts is a good idea. Jongdae disappears off towards the karaoke machine. Kyungsoo is somewhat glad, knowing his track record for dropping things. Nobody needs to be taken to the hospital tonight with a dart impaled in their foot. Chanyeol, the dumb oaf, _who is sober_ , almost dies himself, tripping on thin air as he rushes to steady Baekhyun’s throwing arm. Kyungsoo tries to fight back a grin but can’t. Jongdae’s voice starts in the background, slightly touched by alcohol, but still amazingly strong. Perched on the stool behind them, Yixing is laughing at another one of Junmyeon’s jokes.

“I have a question for you Junmyeon.” Kyungsoo says out of the blue, pointing his bottle at the owner. “You manage Exo Planet, Exoluxion and Exordium. What’s with you and ‘Exo?’”

They never get an answer because Yixing decides to fall off his chair. It’s forgotten in the little struggle to check Yixing is okay and to pour him back onto the stool. It doesn’t matter really.

Baekhyun crows when his dart lands on the board. Sehun offers his dart to Jongin to have a go. Kyungsoo nods at the look he gives him and Jongin slides out of his seat. He hits the dartboard as well, and grins.

Neither of the two have any idea on how to play to be perfectly honest, Kyungsoo notes, because they’ve both only hit singles. But when they get bored of their game and return to their booth, Jongin slips so close to him that they are pressed from shoulder to knee, and Kyungsoo forgets all about singles.

Jongdae stumbles back from the karaoke machine to catch up with them all, grinning his Cheshire smile.

"Your voice is really good," Jongin says to him quietly.

"Thanks," Jongdae replies, a little cocky.

Kyungsoo hit him upside the head, knocking the little smile off his face. "Don't," he says to Jongin, "you'll only make his head bigger."

Jongdae whines, as he does, fixing his hair where no damage has actually been done, sulkily taking his seat. Minseok walks by and Jongdae reels him onto his lap with a hand around his waist. Bright spots sit high on his cheeks. Chanyeol is watching Baekhyun with warm eyes. Junmyeon has pulled Jongin into conversation with him and Minseok.

He smiles at Soo when he catches him looking, doing nothing to stop his answering smile.

Amazed at how Jongin and Sehun have fit so seamlessly into their group, Kyungsoo’s mind hinges onto the thought of Yifan and Luhan for a minute, the ones who left, and it twinges, before he gets distracted by Baekhyun, Sehun and Jongin’s argument about whose dog is better.

"We should head home," Minseok says, a drunk Jongdae pretending to be a tree under his arm. _Huh._ Soo had no idea they were still flatting together. Junmyeon nods and the night kind of ends from there.

Now alone, Kyungsoo heads to the bathroom before he leaves, waving everybody off. He looks at himself in the mirror, watches his eyes. With dim lights, and the fading headiness of alcohol, time feels slow, reality altered.

When Kyungsoo returns, legs still floating despite being on his way to sober, he finds Jongin still there, bottom lip unsteady.

“Jongin.”

“Kyungsoo! You’re still here,” Jongin says happily, clapping. Pink dusts high on his cheekbones. He swings his legs.

“Why are _you_ still here?” Kyungsoo asks, immediately regretting it when Jongin’s smile dies and he sniffles.

“They left me.”

“I can see that,” he mutters, promising to send them all very angry texts in the morning. _Hmm._ Still tipsy, it takes Kyungsoo a minute to turn his eyes back to Jongin.

The man is humming now, looking off to the side, head almost bent at ninety degrees.

“Come on,” Kyungsoo sighs, “Let’s go.”

Jongin doesn’t argue, jumps up immediately, but gets distracted when Kyungsoo smiles at him “Woah, your mouth looks like a heart,” he stage-whispers, transfixed, reaching out to touch the elder’s cupid’s bow before Kyungsoo can move away.

Jongin shivers as soon as they step outside; winter air bitter. Kyungsoo, mouth still tingling, unwinds his scarf to wrap it around Jongin’s neck, tucking it in. From the moon and the streetlamp, the small spots of light fall to sit upon Jongin’s cheekbone. Like syrup, Kyungsoo feels heady with Jongin’s eyes on him, alcohol tickling… Right, the alcohol.

“Come on, let’s get to mine before you freeze,” Kyungsoo says, shaking his head to clear the thoughts of Jongin’s full lips, watching the man shudder with cold.

The walk home is uneventful, but Jongin’s arm knocks his shoulder and he becomes a pillar of body heat behind Kyungsoo when the elder fits his key into the door. Sobered by the cold air and the glass of water he had before leaving, it only takes Kyungsoo one try.

He takes off his shoes and jacket, checking on a sleeping Peach’s food and water, before turning back around to see Jongin standing where he left him, shivers racking his body. _Useless_. Kyungsoo clucks his tongue and drags Jongin to his bedroom, shyness having disappears with the liquid in his bottles.

Wrapping a blanket around Jongin’s shoulders and waist until he resembles a human burrito, Kyungsoo is about to leave him to sleep, water and pills already beside the bed, when the man grabs his arm. “Where are you going hyung?”

“To the lounge.”

“Sleep here,” Jongin says, a little bit sleepy, a little bit demanding.

Between those eyes, and the prospect of waking with a sore back, the decision isn’t hard to make.

Kyungsoo disappears into his bathroom to change and brush his teeth. When he re-enters the room, Jongin has burrowed himself under the covers, bright eyes and a mop of hair sticking out. He makes a noise of wonder as Kyungsoo crosses the room.

“Yes, my legs,” He says at Jongin’s touch to the bare skin not hidden by his big white sleeping shirt. “You have them too.”

Drunk Jongin is cute, like a puppy, Kyungsoo muses, turning off the light, night wrapping around them like warmth.

 

* * *

 

“Nice glasses,” comes a somewhat scratchy voice from beside him.

Kyungsoo looks up from his book, back against the headboard, legs stretched out and crossed on top of the covers. Jongin is smiling up at him, rubbing at his eye, shirt slipping to his collarbone.

“Thanks,” he replies easily, adjusting the black frames. “How are you feeling?”

“A little bit of a headache but other than that good… Hungry,” He admits sheepishly a beat after, when his stomach growls.

Kyungsoo smiles, “how do you feel about omelettes?”

 

* * *

 

Good apparently, he finds out barely ten minutes later, smiling behind his mug of coffee as Jongin scarfs them down. He may be a certified chef, but it’s still nice to see people appreciate his food. (Though Jongin hadn’t been lying when he said he was a bad cook, Kyungsoo having to relegate him to the breakfast bar after the third time he dropped shell into the mix). The brief moment of awkwardness is gone thank god.

“If you want a shower there’s several towels in there and a spare toothbrush in the top drawer,” Kyungsoo says as they finish the dishes, Jongin carefully hanging the dishcloth on the oven bar.

He nods, slowly, and disappears into the bathroom.

Kyungsoo retires to his armchair. “What am I going to do?” He asks Peach, who has just leapt into his lap, trying not to think of how the water sounds so close. Unsure what to do with himself while he waits, his hands stray to his hair, the arms of the chair, before finally settling on the kitten’s fur. That’s how he sits for the next few minutes, staring at the wall, not really seeing, pleasant in the silence.

Jongin reappears. He looks fresher, more awake, white fabric gorgeous against his golden skin. “Where do you want this?” He asks after finishing towelling his hair dry, strands of hair lying haphazard across his forehead, prettily.

“Hamper in the bathroom,” Kyungsoo replies, fingers scratching Peach’s fur, trying to not be obvious as he watches Jongin’s back through his white t-shirt, opaqueness betrayed by a few droplets trickling their way down, his bare feet peeping out from his jeans. It’s almost domestic. “Do you have work today?” he calls.

“Yeah, in about two hours. My scrubs are at home. I’ll text Taemin to get me.”

“Don’t worry, I can take you,” Kyungsoo says, standing, depositing Peach on the floor. He’s got the day off, and being with Jongin for longer would be a good way to spend it.

Jongin looks worried, hand paused on his phone. “You sure? You’ve already done so much.”

“I’m sure,” He reassures, squeezing Jongin’s wrist gently. It really is no bother.

“Thank you Kyungsoo. For everything,” Jongin says, sincere, squeezing back.

They’re standing in his living room, holding each other’s arms. Jongin smells clean, and like him, which Kyungsoo likes more than he’d care to admit. They’ve only known each other for two weeks, and seen each other a mere handful of those days but Kyungsoo has never connected with someone so quickly before. It’s captivating, encompassing. Pulling the courage from the way the light is swallowed by Jongin’s eyes, he slides a hand up to the junction of Jongin’s shoulder and neck. Jongin’s answering smile is warm, like the feeling of the sun settling in his bones.

Kyungsoo waits. Jongin doesn’t disappoint.

Although his hands flutter, Jongin’s gaze is intent when he leans down. One of them, or perhaps even both, sigh when their lips meet, gentle. Slow, a little shy, upper bodies’ bending towards each other until their chests touch. Senses singing, Kyungsoo responds, rising a little on his toes, Jongin’s damp hair cool against his burning skin. Jongin has to pull back when Kyungsoo can’t stop the smile that breaks across his face. Jongin smiles at that, which makes Kyungsoo peck him once, chaste.

“I’ll just grab my phone and then we can go,” Kyungsoo says against Jongin’s mouth, but Jongin pulls him back in.

Breathless, its five more minutes of lazily exchanged kisses, frizzling like his insides, before they part enough that Kyungsoo can actually retrieve his things.  There’s a text there, Kyungsoo realises, returning Jongin’s blinding smile with his own as he slips on his shoes. It’s from Baekhyun. He laughs as he reads it, stepping outside into the brisk air, Jongin bumping his chin against the top of Soo’s head before getting into the passenger seat.

 

_Baekhyun | 11:04_

_You’re welcome_

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kyungsoo is content (apart from one minor factor)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we've finally reached the end of Autumn Eyes! (this chapter is purely self-indulgent fluff. Like rot-your-teeth goop).
> 
> I suppose I should be more sad that three months of work (three months) of work is ending, but honestly I'm more focused on the next pieces I have for you guys! Please like and comment, I love reading what you have to say! 
> 
> Keep an eye out for my upcoming pieces, and enjoy x

 

_Three Weeks Later_

 

On his way into Exordium to pick Jongin up for coffee, Kyungsoo swings his keys in his hand.

It’s going well. Unbelievably well. Jongin is sweet, goofy and Kyungsoo loves to coddle him (he’s _terrible_ at taking care of himself, Soo doesn’t know how Taemin handles living with him). Jongin also has an odd possessive streak, liking Kyungsoo to himself, even around their friends. Although misplaced, it’s cute, because all Jongin actually does about it is pout until the person lets him go and Kyungsoo comes to him.

(Embarrassingly, all-in-all, Kyungsoo doesn’t think he’s smiled this much since he was a kid).

According to his phone it’s ten to three. He’s early but no matter, he’ll just ask Sehun about the anime he’d recommended to him.

 _Except_. Except when Kyungsoo walks inside, Sehun’s. Not. There.

Kyungsoo stops in his tracks, right in the middle of the entrance, when he sees who is behind the desk.

Wildly, Baekhyun waves. “Hi Soo!”

Spinning on one foot, Kyungsoo turns around and walks right out, taking refuge in his car. He texts Jongin to let him know where he is.

“Why are you out here?” Jongin asks as he slides into the passenger seat ten minutes later.

“Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo says, as if it explains everything.

Jongin nods, because really, it does. It took a while for him to wrap his head around the idea that Kyungsoo sort-of can’t stand his best friend, but Jongin gets it now, even if he does get along well with Baekhyun. So well, that sometimes Kyungsoo will come home to find them bent over Baekhyun’s phone, laughing. Betrayed by his own boyfriend.

“I had planned to tell you, it just slipped my mind,” Jongin admits against his lips, after Kyungsoo lets him break for breath. Kyungsoo smiles, hand still at his boyfriend’s neck; the place he’d soon discovered was his favourite to hold.

When they get back to his, Kyungsoo pauses in the middle of the living room to send Baekhyun a text. As he’s typing away, Jongin stands close behind him, resting his forehead on the back of Kyungsoo’s head against his hair; his own habit.

 

_Kyungsoo | 03:16_

_What are your hours_

 

_Baekhyun | 03:18_

_1:30-9:30 Monday-Thursday at the moment. Why??_

 

_Kyungsoo | 03:19_

_So I can avoid the fuck out of you_

 

_Baekhyun | 03:20_

_Rude. You haven’t forgotten who helped get you and Jongin together have you??_

 

That makes Kyungsoo scoff. Baekhyun is acting like he’s high and mighty above them, ironic, since he’s taking to protesting abandonment to Chanyeol whenever he sees Kyungsoo and Jongin cuddling on the couch.

 

_Kyungsoo | 03:21_

_Considering I was the one who introduced you to Chanyeol, I’d say we’re even._

 

Kyungsoo grins as he types. Got him.

 

_Baekhyun | 03:21_

_Soooo_

 

“Sorry,” Kyungsoo says, chucking his phone across the room, not bothering to reply, turning to situate himself into Jongin’s arms, who had sat there very nicely while he was texting. “Now, where were we?”

“I’d like to stay here,” Jongin says, bending down to kiss him.

Heat settling into his stomach as hands fit to his waist, Kyungsoo walks them backwards to the couch, lips still connected when it bumps the back of his knees. Pulling Jongin on top of him so his boyfriend’s hips land either side of Kyungsoo’s legs, he smirks into the kiss when a startled noise escapes Jongin’s mouth. He’s blushing too.

“Shut up,” Jongin mumbles when Kyungsoo’s grin gets wide enough for him to notice.

Still chuckling slightly, Kyungsoo’s fingers have just crept under Jongin’s shirt to stroke golden skin, when a loud meow echoes right beside his ear. _Peach._

“You’re to blame you know,” Kyungsoo says as Jongin sighs, extracting himself, and letting Soo get up to feed his kitten, who is scarily good at interrupting them. “If you hadn’t looked at me with those eyes, this wouldn’t be a problem!”

Jongin smiles up at him, soft, and Kyungsoo doesn’t think he’ll ever get sick of this, “you started it." 

 

 


End file.
